The Road Not Taken
by WoundedSparrow
Summary: Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years when one day Gabriella gets into a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is, or that they ever had something? Will they fall for each other all over again? Troyella.
1. You Didn't Lose Her

I know I still need to update Coming Back to You, but I wanted to start this! I've had the idea, the basics of it at least, for over a year, so I'm excited to finally write it. I'm going to update a little differently, though. Because I'm notorious for not updating frequently, I'm going to try this! Lol.

So I am posting this first chapter, and I will see if you guys like the general idea and the story. If enough people say they like it, I will continue it! But, instead of writing each chapter and then posting it, I will write the entire story over Thanksgiving break, and then post one chapter a week, or two, or three. Depends! I think you guys will be happier with me in the long run. :)

**PS:** If you can think of a better summary, please let me know! I really don't like the one I have right now!

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **You Didn't Lose Her

**Rating:** T (swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is? Troyella.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

The alarm sounded as the clock struck 7:30 a.m. Troy Bolton rolled to his left and hit the snooze button before it could wake him even more from the deep sleep that had encompassed him moments before.

Carefully rolling back to his right, Troy looked at the petite woman lying next to him. Her brown curls were scattered across the pillow in which her face was pressed into. Cautiously, trying not to wake her, Troy caressed her face, taking in her beauty.

Today was their third anniversary. Three years ago today, he had been married to the beautiful woman lying beside him. Now, at 25, Troy not only had an incredible wife, but a spunky two-year-old as well.

The brunette stirred and turned to her left, looking at her husband with sleepy eyes - a small smile was evident on her face.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Troy greeted his wife with a large grin.

"Good morning to you too – and happy anniversary, Troy." She said, giggling as her husband put an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, gently kissing her on the lips.

"I love you so much Gabi." Troy said as he leaned down to kiss his wife once more. As she wrapped her arms around him, he started to deepen the kiss when he heard the shuffling of feet on the carpet.

Reluctantly, Gabriella pulled back from the kiss, laughing when she saw the depressed look on her husband's face.

The parents turned to look at their two-year-old son, who had not climbed his way onto their bed – staring at them with his big brown eyes. The moment Troy and Gabriella first saw him on the day he was born, they knew he was going to be a heartbreaker some day.

The only thing their son seemed to get from his mother was his brown eyes. Other than that, he looked like a mini version of his father.

The past two years had been amazing for the Bolton family. Troy and Caleb, their son, had formed a special bond. However, Gabriella distinctly remembered how badly Troy had wanted a girl. Nonetheless, Troy loved his son with every fiber of his being.

"What's wrong hotshot?" Gabriella asked, pulling her toddler into her lap. Troy wrapped an arm around her and leaned closer to his family.

"I'm hungry." He mumbled, continuing to stare up at his parents.

"What do you want to eat, buddy?" Troy asked, smiling at the indecision that crossed the young boy's face.

"C-real!" Caleb exclaimed with a smile on his face. Both Troy and Gabriella laughed at the way their son pronounced the word.

"Looks like its time to get up then." Gabriella yawned, watching as her son darted out of the room.

Troy groaned, trying to make her stay. She giggled at his attempt to hold her down.

"We can't just spend the day in bed. Parents have to look after their kids, Troy. We can't slack off or Caleb's going to grow up to be a neglected child." Gabriella said in a serious voice, looking into her husband's light blue eyes. Every time he stared at her, even after knowing him for nine years, it still made her heart flip. He looked at her with an evident emotion every time – Gabriella soon found out on the day that he proposed that it was love.

"Gabi – I think your memory is failing you. Did we, or did we not spend an entire day in bed when we were in Hawaii on our honeymoon?" Troy asked with amusement in his voice.

Gabriella grabbed her pillow and smacked him. He stared at her in shock, but with a smile on his face.

"Stop it, Troy. Come on." she got out of the bed and walked towards the bathroom.

The blue-eyed man sighed, and put his head back to the pillow, thinking about what he had prepared for today.

Even though Gabriella had asked Troy not to go crazy over their anniversary, like he had the past two years, he didn't listen to her. Later in the day, when Caleb was dropped off at his mom's house, Troy was going to take her on a walk through the park, where they would eat lunch and have a picnic under their favorite weeping willow tree. Afterwards, Troy would take her back home, and they could watch their wedding video and high school documentaries that they had put together. That night, Troy was planning on taking her to an amazing restaurant that she had wanted to go to for some time now - _Il Gusto Di Italia._ Today was going to be perfect.

Troy continued to go over the plans in his head when the alarm sounded again. He jumped in surprise.

Gabriella laughed from the bathroom door, where she leaned against the frame while brushing her teeth. Troy rolled his eyes at her and turned off the alarm, getting out of bed to start preparing for the day.

* * *

"Caleb! Stop it. You aren't going to get cereal anymore if you keep throwing it at the wall." Gabriella scolded her toddler while wiping up milk splashes.

"Hey little man, how about you and me go play some basketball out back when you're done eating?" Troy asked his son as he walked into the kitchen, completely dressed and ready for his big day.

"YAY!" Caleb shouted, looking at his mom for permission.

"You have to eat your breakfast first." Gabriella said, smiling at her toddler but trading glances with her husband, who seemed to be much too interested in the way she had done her hair today.

"DONE!" Caleb shouted, and both boys exited the room. Gabriella stared at her son's half eaten breakfast and sighed. Troy could be such a bad influence.

_But it's cute – they have such a great bond_ she thought as she started to clean up the kitchen.

The phone suddenly rang, and she jumped slightly, but quickly regained composure and picked up the telephone.

"Hello?"

"Gabriella, it's Steven. I'm going to need you to come into work today for just a couple of hours. I know you're taking off for your anniversary, but we really need you. Apparently one of our client's private information was lost, and we have no idea where it is or who might have gotten a hold of it." The man said, and Gabriella sighed, wondering why things like this always happened at the wrong time.

Gabriella was a public relations director at a major accounting firm in Albuquerque. She had landed to job right out of college because of her impressive resume, and Troy couldn't have been more proud of her. He had followed his dream as well by becoming a professional basketball player, starting as guard for the Albuquerque Red Hawks (**A/n: I know it's over used, but it works with the story, and I also know that there is no such team in the NBA)**.

"Yeah. Give me twenty minutes to get there. I'll have to tell the boys as well." Gabriella said in a dull tone, obviously not wanting to go into work on her anniversary. Troy was going to be really upset. They had both planned on just spending the day together.

"Thanks Gabriella. See you soon." Steven, her boss, said and hung up the phone.

Gabriella crossed the kitchen and stopped at the back door, where from the windows she could see her Caleb running away from Troy while carrying the ball and not dribbling it. She laughed as Troy tried to chase after him.

When Troy and Gabriella had gotten married, he had expressed to her his wishes of a family, and how excited he was to have a child. What he didn't know is that Gabriella hadn't wanted one at first. A child would mean that she wouldn't get to see as much of Troy as she was used to. With basketball completely taking him away from her for a good portion of the year, a child would make it even more difficult to spend time with her husband. However, when she mentioned this to Troy, he made a solemn promise that in no way would he not find time for his wife. Therefore, when Gabriella found out she was pregnant eight weeks later, she was happy about it.

Quickly opening the door, she motioned for Troy to come over to her. He smiled at his son who was trying to put the basketball into the hoop and quickly ran over to her after he lifted the toddler up so he could make a basket.

Troy leaned down and gently kissed Gabriella on the lips. "What's up?"

"Troy," she sighed, looking at the ground. She really didn't want to see his face when she told him about the work emergency.

"What's wrong, honey?" he asked in a worried tone. Was she okay? Did something happen to Caleb?

"A file with one of the firm's client's information on it was lost sometime between the time I left last night and this morning. I've been called in to do damage control." She said, feeling him stiffen slightly.

"What? Gabi, they know that you're taking the day off, why would they call you in like that?" he sighed, knowing the answer. She was the best, and she was needed.

"I'm sorry, Troy. It will only be for a couple of hours, then I'll come back home as fast as I can so we can spend the rest of the day together." She said quietly, taking her hand in his. She could see how disappointed he was, and it hurt her as well.

"It's fine. I'll miss you." He said, quickly leaning down to kiss her. "Be safe. Call me if you need anything."

"Will do, Wildcat." She smiled at him and went back inside.

Troy watched as his wife left the driveway and took off down the street. He couldn't help but feel a little upset. The entire day had been planned out, and it had been all about them – celebrating what they had.

"Daddy? Can you life me up?" Caleb trotted over to his father and raised his head to Troy. He couldn't help but smile at how adorable his son was. Being a dad was great, but what made it even better was the fact that Gabriella was the mother of his child. He had the ultimate family, and he couldn't be happier.

"Sure, buddy." He said, and laughed as the two-year-old jumped into his arms and put the basketball into the hoop.

* * *

Gabriella focused on the road as she thought about how the firm could have possibly lost the information of a client. This was going to require major damage control. If her and her team weren't careful, they could lose the trust of not only that client, but many others as well, putting the success of the business at risk.

"Uggh!" Gabriella groaned, putting her head on the steering wheel when she stopped at a stoplight. "How could this have happened? On my anniversary!" She felt absolutely terrible for her husband. Troy deserved better than this. They barely got enough time together as it was because of his hectic basketball schedule, and now, on the one day that really meant something to both of them, work had to interfere.

The light turned green and she inched the car forward. In the next few seconds, so many things happened that Gabriella found it hard to keep track of it all.

The car on the opposite side of the intersection slammed on their breaks and a pedestrian started screaming something that Gabriella couldn't make out. It was then that she turned her head at the last second to see a car speeding towards her. Before she could comprehend what was happening, it collided with her car.

* * *

"Alright little man, let's get you some lunch before you go over to Grandma's house, okay?" Troy asked his son as the two had washed their hands after the basketball game.

"MAC AND CHEESE! MAC AND CHEESE!" Caleb yelled, skipping around the house.

Troy laughed. "Okay, Macaroni and Cheese it is. Settle down Caleb, it will be done in about fifteen minutes."

The boy looked at his father and put on a big grin, speedily moving to a kitchen chair to watch Troy cook.

* * *

Pain shot through her entire body as Gabriella tried to open her eyes. She had no idea where she was or what happened, but all she wanted to do was see her family. The brunette accepted the fact that she was going to die, and just wanted to tell Caleb and Troy how much she loved them.

_Oh, Caleb. Growing up without a mother…_she thought.

Screams echoed from around her, and Gabriella tried to think about something else to take her mind off the unbearable pain.

"_Hey, Gabriella?" the petite girl turned around to see who was calling her name. It was the boy in her Chemistry class, Troy Bolton, the most popular basketball jock in the school. She had to admit, standing there in just jeans and his basketball track jacket, he looked hot. _

_Truth was, Gabriella did have a tiny crush on him, but she wouldn't admit it to anyone. They had worked together on several experiments and he had been really nice to her. She thought it was great that even though he was a popular, Troy didn't make fun of her for being good at science._

"_Yeah?" She asked hesitantly. What would a guy like him want from a girl like her?_

"_Um… well… you see… I really like playing basketball, and, well, my dad would hate it if I couldn't play anymore, so… uhh… I was wondering… if… well… maybe you could… um… tutor me in Chemistry?" _

_Gabriella looked at Troy's face, which was filled with sincerity. She could tell that it had taken a lot of courage for a guy like him to ask an unpopular girl for help. His blue eyes pierced into hers and she let out a sigh._

"_Sure, Troy. I'd be happy to." She smiled. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. The hours could count towards community service if she played her cards right._

"_Oh, Gabriella, thank you so much! You do not know how much I need this right now! So, how about you come to my house after school, say, around 5:45, and we can get started?" Troy asked as relief filled his once insecure face._

"_Sounds great. I'll see you then. It will be a fun-filled couple hours of science!" she joked, and her smile grew as she saw the way his eyes lit up when he grinned._

"_Thank you, again, Gabriella. I really appreciate this." _

"_No problem. See you later!" she said, and walked towards her next class._

_The ironic thing, was, that Gabriella never did teach anything useful about Chemistry to Troy that night. She had gone to his house and sat down in his bedroom to begin her tutoring, when he walked over to her, pulled her up to a standing position, and kissed her. Just kissed her. _

_That couple of hours had been some of the best moments of her life. It was the time when Troy finally revealed to her how much he cared about her, and wanted her to be his girlfriend._

"Miss, miss! Excuse me, if you are alive please make some kind of noise to indicate so!" Gabriella broke away from her memory and listened to the calm but authoritative voice. She could hardly look up, but could briefly tell it was a paramedic.

"Yes." She croaked, and then the world began to fade to black as she let herself get the rest she deserved.

* * *

"Daddy, that was yummy! I want more!" Caleb exclaimed, thrusting the plastic Winnie the Pooh spoon back into his bowl.

"Caleb, what do we say?" Troy asked, trying to hide the amusement on his face as he watched his son contemplate the answer.

"THANK YOU!" he shouted with a big grin on his face, and Troy laughed.

"Close. We say please." He explained to his toddler.

"May I pwease have some more Mac and Cheese?" Troy watched his son's big brown eyes grow large.

"Yes. Here, let me have your bowl and I'll fill it up for you." Troy reached across the kitchen table to grab the dish, and began to make his way to the kitchen. The phone suddenly rang, and Troy put the dish down as he answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Troy Bolton speaking?" a gruff voice said on the other line. Troy frowned. Was it one of his physical trainers? He didn't have a session today.

"Yes it is. May I ask who is calling?"

"My name is Andrew Weber from the Albuquerque General Hospital. Are you familiar with a woman by the name of Gabriella Bolton?" Troy's heart started beating frantically while he glanced at his son, still waiting for his food.

"Yes. She's my wife. Why? Is something wrong?" Troy began to pace around the kitchen. Why was the hospital calling about Gabriella? What happened? Was she okay? Where was she?

"I'm sorry sir, but your wife was involved in a car accident about ten minutes ago, and she was brought in to the hospital for examination. She is in surgery as we speak." Dr. Weber said in a soft tone.

"Oh…she's in surgery?" Troy said in a calm voice. His heart would not stop beating fast. Gabriella was in a car accident. A car accident. His Gabriella. His wife. The mother of his child.

"Yes sir."

"How bad is it?" Troy choked out as he tried to get his momentary shock together. He started to race through the house, looking for his keys. Gabriella was in the hospital, and he had to be with her. Trying to hold it together for his son, Troy walked back into the kitchen, still listening to the description of what had happened.

"… so clearly, it wasn't her fault. We have got her all fixed up, only a few broken bones, but the thing we are worried about is the trauma to her head. She lost a lot of blood, and we won't know the effects until after the surgery, but we hope that it won't be too much damage."

"Oh my God." Troy accidentally said into the phone. "Do you think she is going to survive this? Will she be able to walk, or talk again? How long is her recovery session going to be?" Troy spit out. How the hell did his life get flipped upside down by one phone call?

He quickly moved to the couch and sat down as he felt his head spin. Caleb slid out of his chair and went over from the table to stand in front of him, his curious eyes studying his obviously devastated father.

Troy looked back at his son, the brown eyes more piercing now then ever. _Gabriella._ It was the only thing going through his head. He didn't know half of what was going on; it was all so blurry. She was in surgery because she was in a car accident. _Oh my God. This can not be happening_ Troy thought. _She was just going to the office. It's our anniversary…_

"Mr. Bolton, she is getting the best care in the state currently. Coming in, we had no idea whether she was going to make it, but now she is in a stable state and we are positive she will be able to go home in about two weeks at the most. However, if we find significant head trauma, we may have to keep her for a little while longer." Dr. Weber explained.

"Okay. Well, thanks for calling, Doctor. I'll be down there very soon." Troy ended the conversation and hung up, directing his attention back to his son.

"Caleb? We're going to go see mommy. She had an accident and we're going to go visit her. Get your shoes on and bring a toy or two, okay? We might be there a while." Troy told his toddler, and watched as he nodded vigorously and ran up the stairs.

The blue-eyed man sat on the couch, staring at the floor. He let out a quick sob, and then pulled it together as he heard footsteps rushing down the stairs.

"READY!" Caleb yelled, still not quite sure what was going on with his mom.

"Alright, buddy. Let's go see mommy."

* * *

Gabriella slowly opened her eyes, immediately being greeted by a very painful feeling all over her body, especially her head. From what she could see, she was in a hospital.

_How the hell did I get here?_ She thought.

Looking around, she could identify medical equipment all around her. She was definitely in a hospital, or maybe –

"Gabriella, I see you have woken up. That is a very good sign. We weren't sure if the trauma to your head would have been significant enough to send you into a coma." A man walked into the room with a clipboard and pen in his hands.

With great difficulty, Gabriella sat herself up on the hospital bed. "What? I'm sorry but, how did I get here? What happened?" She asked.

She was sure she wasn't supposed to see, but she could have sworn that the Doctor's eyebrows rose for a split second, surprised at her comment.

"You were in a car accident." He explained, studying her intently.

"Really? Wow. Well, thank you for saving my life." she let out a small smile.

"Mrs. Bolton, could you tell me - " the doctor was cut off.

"Mrs. Bolton? What? My name is Gabriella Montez. Are you sure you have the right Gabriella?" she said softly, now wondering what was going on.

The doctor's mouth dropped, and then quickly closed as he began to vigorously write on his clipboard.

"I'll be right back, Ms… uh… Montez?"

Gabriella nodded her head.

"Please don't worry." he commented and quickly left the room.

_Mrs. Bolton? _She thought. _Never heard the name in my life…_

* * *

Troy sat in the waiting room, trying to clear his head so he could comprehend what was happening, and that everything was going to be okay.

"_Gabriella, wait!" Troy called, running to catch the brunette's hand. He tugged on it and she whipped around to face him, her eyes red and puffy from crying._

"_Troy, please. Don't make this harder than it already is!" she said._

"_But Gabriella, I never wanted to break up. I still love you! The reason you… just…" Looking into her eyes, Troy was at a lost of words. He missed her so much. It had been three weeks since the break-up, and he couldn't stand it. Always being depressed, not caring about school or basketball, seeing her in the hallways, it all made life suck every since they split. He needed her. He loved her, and he wanted her back. _

_The reasons that they had broken up were so stupid. She thought she was helping his basketball career. By not having to worry about a girlfriend, he could focus more on the sport and championships. She was wrong. It was backwards. He couldn't concentrate on basketball because he was too busy missing her. He craved her gentle touch, and how she felt in his arms. And now, when he finally pulled her aside after school and said something to her, she wouldn't hear of it._

"_Troy, it's better for us if we aren't together. I mean, who are we kidding? It's not just because it helps you focus on basketball, but because, no one else wants us to be together. It just isn't working." The brunette said, looking down at the ground._

"_Gabriella, please hear me out. It doesn't matter about what other people think, and breaking up actually made my basketball worse, but, I need you to answer a serious question." Troy lifted her chin so that she stared at him in the eyes. "Do you still love me?"_

_Blushing, Gabriella quickly glanced at the floor, and back up at Troy's blue eyes. _

"_Yes." _

_Troy let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His eyes traced her face for any sign of regret, and when he couldn't find any, Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand and put it around his neck, wrapped his own around her waist, and leaned down to kiss her. _

_The kiss was full of longing and love. Troy immediately felt Gabriella's other hand entwine around his neck as she fell into him. He loved the feeling of her lips on his, and had missed it so much. _

_When they pulled away, she slowly opened her eyes and stared at him. _

"_Troy…" her hand lifted up to trace his face. "I've missed you so much." A tear ran down her cheek. Troy quickly wiped it away. _

"_I've missed you too." He said, wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her curls, and holding her close. At that time, he vowed to himself never to let her go again. _

"Honey?" Troy looked up from his spot on the ground, coming out of his daydream. His mother was standing above him with a worried look and his dad was at her side. Troy had called the on the way to the hospital and told them about Gabriella.

"Hey. Thanks for coming guys." Troy said in a monotone voice. He noticed that his mother glanced at his father, and then to Caleb. Jack Bolton immediately walked over the where the toddler was playing with the blocks provided by the hospital.

"Troy, can we go to the cafeteria and talk, please honey. I know you need to talk. Dad will keep Caleb busy." Lucille Bolton said, and Troy got up and began to walk with her.

Mrs. Bolton waited until they were out of the room to begin the conversation.

"Honey… I am so sorry. Is she going to be okay?" Lucille really did care about Gabriella. She believed that her daughter-in-law made Troy a better man, and was the perfect match for him. She had become almost a second daughter.

"Mom…" Troy choked out. He was going to break down.

"Honey, it's okay. Talk to me." The mother said, wrapping her arms around her son. She also loved Gabriella because Troy cared about her so much. She was the only thing that could make him break down and get this upset.

Troy couldn't keep it in anymore. The tiny sob slipped out and the tears began to roll down his face. Mrs. Bolton just held him and let him cry.

"Mom… I was so scared when I got the phone call. I thought she had died. God, and now… she had surgery? My God, she probably had no idea what was going on, or she was probably unconscious, and I wasn't ever here for her." He told his mother, a couple of tears still rolling down his face.

"I know honey, I know." She rubbed his back soothingly. Remembering the one other time that she was in this position – the first time him and Gabriella had broken up.

"I just want to see her, and tell her how much I love her." He said. The tears had stopped and Troy pulled it together. "I don't know what I would've done if I had lost her."

"Troy, you didn't lose her. Don't think about it. She's going to be alright. Everything is fine. She just has some recovering to do, that's all." Lucille told her son, and he nodded, walking back to the waiting room with her.

Troy watched his son and his dad play together on the floor. Caleb looked so happy, and probably had no idea what happened to his mom.

Lucille sat down and pulled out a magazine from her purse. Offering him a small smile, she started to read. He let out a sigh and sat down across from her.

_And now we wait _he thought.

* * *

I swear, that is the worst chapter I have ever written. It was WAY too rushed. I hate where I ended it too, but it was getting too long. I'm pretty sure there are some grammatical mistakes in there too. Lol. So, review and tell me if you like the idea and want me to continue?!? Let me know!

PS: Coming Back To You will be updated over my Thanksgiving Break. Sorry about the wait guys...

- Wounded Sparrow


	2. A Forgotten Occasion

Here is the second chapter of The Road Not Taken! I'm working on writing the entire story this week, so be patient with me!

By the way, the medical issues in this chapter are probably not what happen in real life. Some of the stuff may be completely untrue, but bear with me. I'm sorry!

Hope you like it! Review and tell me what you think! Not all chapters are going to be this long. The next couple will probably be shorter! Just to let you guys know!

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **A Forgotten Occasion

**Rating:** T (swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"Mr. Bolton. Mr. Bolton. Excuse me sir."

Tory felt a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, only to find a red-haired nurse with black glasses on.

"Uh…hello?" Where was he? Looking around his memory came back to him. The phone call. The hospital. Caleb. His mother. _Gabriella._

"Gabriella! Is she okay? Do you know anything?" he frantically stood up. Troy's tone made the nurse raise her eyebrows in surprise, and woke his parents, who were now attentively listening to the conversation.

"Yes, Mr. Bolton. I'm here to talk to you about her condition." The nurse began, glancing down at her clipboard.

Troy's heart started to beat faster. He waited for the news. Was it good? God, he hoped so.

The blue-eyed man felt a hand on his arm, and looked over at his mother, who gave him a soft smile. He averted his gaze to Caleb, who was sleeping in her lap, probably still unaware of what was happening.

"As you were informed on the phone call, Gabriella was in surgery after the car accident. We found several broken bones, including a few ribs and her wrist, but she was actually very lucky, because that was the extent of the damage on her body." The nurse glanced up.

Troy felt his mother sigh next to him. His heart slowed down a little bit.

"So that's it? Just a few broken bones? She'll be out of the hospital later today?" Glancing up at the clock, Troy noticed it was 5 pm. In two hours he was supposed to take Gabriella out on a romantic dinner. Even though he wished they could have stuck with their plans, Troy was still happy that Gabriella was going to be okay.

"Well, I'm afraid not. That was just the wounds to her body. What happened to her head at the impact of the crash is not as fortunate." The nurse continued with a somber look and a low tone of a voice. Troy's heart went back to the fast pace it had before.

"We believe that when the two cars crashed, Miss Montez's head collided with the steering wheel, she damaged part of her brain, which triggered internal bleeding. We were, however, able to clear up the bleeding without opening her skull, so she won't have significant head trauma recovery."

"That's serious. Did it have any affect on her?" Jack spoke up this time. He glanced over at his son, who was unusually pale.

"Miss Montez? Why did you call her Miss Montez?" Troy said, confusion showing in his eyes.

"Well, that's what we wanted to talk to you about, but we feel that Troy should be able to talk to Dr. Weber alone before we reveal any more information." The red-haired nurse motioned for Troy to follow her.

The young man stood up, glancing at his parents who gave him encouraging glances, and then at his son, still asleep. He turned follow the nurse.

"Now, I know this may seem a little strange, but the doctors are very optimistic." The nurse told him as she stopped outside a door.

Troy looked at the ground. What the hell was going on? He had no idea what affects the head trauma had on Gabriella, and all he wanted was answers.

The beige door opened slowly, and a doctor stepped out. He was several inches shorter than Troy and probably in his late 40s. He was beginning to bald, but put on a very friendly face when he noticed Troy.

"Mr. Bolton. You're the man I contacted earlier about Gabriella, correct?" he asked. The man must have been Dr. Weber.

"Yes, and thank you for notifying me, but I am still really confused as to what is happening with my wife."

The doctor glanced at the nurse. She nodded, and left for the patient lobby. A sigh came from the man's mouth, and he looked up at Troy.

"Mr. Bolton, why don't we sit down and have a talk." Dr. Weber began to trudge over to a bench, just outside the room's door. Troy quickly followed, a tiny lump in his throat forming as the doctor glanced at the ground before looking back at him.

"I know this is all very confusing, so I will try to explain it to you as best I can. You heard about the head trauma she suffered. Well, we fixed it very well, and thought that there would be no side effects at all. This, however, is not the case."

Troy continued to stare at Dr. Weber with wide eyes. What was going on? Why wouldn't anyone get to the damn point?

"After the surgery, we began to talk to Miss Montez, and we fou-"

"Why do you keep calling her Miss Montez? We're married. She's Mrs. Bolton." Troy cut Dr. Weber off. He nodded, a somber look crossing his face.

"Well, as I was saying, we began to talk to Mrs. Bolton, and she did not seem to recall what had happened. The accident, I mean. That is actually not abnormal. However, when we asked her about Caleb and you, she didn't seem to… well… she didn't seem to know who you were." The doctor looked back at the ground again.

"What? I don't understand…Is she…?" Troy started, but could not find the words to finish his sentence.

"We ran some tests, and it turns out she has significant memory loss. The reason you have not been able to see her is because we have been trying to see how much she remembers for the past couple of hours. I have concluded that she remembers up to age fifteen, but does not remember anything past that."

"So… that means she has no idea that… I… even exist?" Troy choked out, remembering how Gabriella moved to Albuquerque when she had just turned sixteen.

"Well, yes. I'm being honest with you Mr. Bolton when I say that she can not remember anything that happened from age sixteen to present day. Miss Montez is … oh… sorry… Mrs. Bolton is aware that she has lost her memory now, though, and is coping with it quite well. She knows how old she is, and that she was in a car accident. But, to explain why we keep calling her Miss Montez, well, it's because that's what she wanted us to call her." Dr. Weber stood up and signed a file that a nurse passing by handed him.

"Did you call her Mrs. Bolton first?" Troy asked, standing up as well. His head was still spinning. _She has no idea who I am. My Gabriella. My wife. She doesn't even know I exist…_ _or our son. She doesn't even remember that we had anything…_

"Yes, we did. That's when she told us that her name was Gabriella Montez, not Bolton, and that she had never heard the name in her life." The older man sat back down on the bench, and looked at Troy.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but I feel that this memory loss in only temporary. I am optimistic that she will remember everything one day, maybe soon, maybe in a while, but I know if you keep introducing her to things that were constant in her everyday life over the past few years, you may trigger some memories."

Troy brushed his hand through his hair. He could not wrap his head around it. It was supposed to be his anniversary, and now… he wasn't going to be able to hold his wife or love her at all, because she didn't… feel the same way.

"Well, she has agreed to see you. After all, I will be releasing her tomorrow evening, and she does need a place to stay…" The doctor interrupted Troy's thoughts.

"Of course she would be staying with me. I just… I just don't know what to tell Caleb. His mother doesn't even know who her son is anymore." Shaking his head, Troy stood up.

"Just to let you know, she may be hesitant to talk to you at first. Miss Montez is aware that you are her husband, and it can be a little scary for patients with memory loss to meet people they are supposed to know, but can't remember, so don't be alarmed if she shies away from you." The doctor said, opening the door and peeking his head through.

"Miss Montez?" He called inside. "Would you like to meet Troy Bolton, your husband?"

Troy immediately felt butterflies in his stomach. What if she didn't like him at all? How were they going to live together? What would happen to Caleb's relationship with her?

"Mr. Bolton, she's ready to see you." The doctor smiled encouragingly.

Troy let out a breath. Now was the time to face reality.

* * *

All of this information was overwhelming Gabriella. She just wanted to run and hide. A husband? A son? How could she not remember that? She did not have a family, and she certainly did not know a Troy Bolton.

For some strange reason, she had agreed to see him though. Maybe it was because she felt bad for this… Mr. Bolton. If she was, in fact, his wife, she at least owed him a meeting. And apparently, she was going to stay at his house. Normally, this would upset her, but the pain meds must have been calming her down.

"Miss Montez?"

She looked up to find Doctor Whatshisname peeking through the door. This was it.

"Would you like to meet Troy Bolton, your husband?"

"Yes, please send him in." she smiled slightly at the doctor. This was such a bad idea. What if she wasn't even attracted to him? He could be completely wrong for her and she would have to spend time with this so called "husband" of hers.

The door creaked open all the way as her nurse put the bed into a sitting position and left the area. A tall man with sandy brown hair walked into the room, his eyes on the ground.

"Uh… hello." Gabriella said in a semi-cheerful voice. What else could she say? Sorry for not remembering you, but, I don't really care?

The man looked up from the floor and stared at her. She took in a small breath when she saw his piercing blue eyes and masculine features. He was extremely handsome, and there was no denying that he was just as nervous as her.

"Gabi…I…" He started, still staring at her with pain in his eyes.

Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows. _Gabi?_

The man continued to stare back at her, his eyes suddenly growing wide.

"Oh! Sorry… I mean _Gabriella_. I know this is probably really awkward for you, but, I just want you to know that…well… God, I am so relieved that you are okay." He let out a small breath, and put on a slight smile.

Gabriella smiled back at the man. He seemed nice, but the person she wanted to see most right now was her mother. Someone she knew.

"Thank you…Troy?" the brunette asked. She momentarily forgot his name and prayed that she had gotten it right. That last thing she wanted to do was upset the person who was giving her a place to stay.

However, despite her intentions, she saw him flinch a little, pain resurfacing in his eyes. Immediately, Gabriella felt like apologizing, but he started to talk just before she could open her mouth.

"Yeah… uh… it's Troy." He started, going back to stare at the ground for a few seconds before looking up at her. "Gabriella, I just want to let you know that anything you need me to do, I'll do it. Just let me know, okay?" he asked,

"Yeah, of course. Thanks so much Troy." Gabriella looked down at her comforter. Part of her just wanted him to leave so that the awkward situation would go away.

"Um… I'll leave you alone. I've already called your mom and told her what happened. She's on her way here. I put her on a plane that's supposed to come in at 7, so… in about an hour and a half. She lives in Arizona with your aunt." Troy explained carefully, gauging her reaction.

"Oh, she does?" Gabriella asked, surprised. Her mother and her lived in New Hampshire before… _when you were fifteen…_ she thought. "Well, thank you. I really appreciate it."

"Yeah. It's no problem, really. I'll drive her here when she gets in, and I'll be back tomorrow night to pick you up? Unless you would rather stay with your mom? She'll be staying at one of her old friend's houses." Troy walked over to the window of the hospital, opening the blinds so that the sunset began to shine through.

Gabriella swallowed the lump in her throat as he turned around to look at her once again. There was this look in his eyes that she couldn't describe, but somehow, it was comforting. She felt like she was…safe?

He slowly started to walk towards the bed, and sat down in the chair next to it.

"Gabriella." Troy sighed, and reached his hand out to gently rub the cast that was now on her wrist.

He couldn't believe this. It was extremely painful to look into his wife's eyes and see nothing but confusion. No happiness was there, and no joy. He could tell… and it pained him to think about it… that she didn't love him. There was nothing there. She just looked uncomfortable with the situation and upset at everything that she couldn't remember. It was hard to imagine, but his Gabriella wasn't sitting in front of him. She was buried deep inside, at least the part of her that needed him.

Momentarily forgetting the fact that she didn't know who he was, he began to talk to _his _Gabriella.

"I am so happy that you are okay. I got a phone call today from the doctor telling me that you were at the hospital and… my heart completely stopped beating for a few seconds. I mean, you were just going to catch up on some things at work and, now you're in the hospital. God, if I would've just held you a second longer before you got in the car, this wouldn't have happened… we would still be able to celebrate our anniversary tonight and you wouldn't have gotten hurt." Troy finished as he started to choke up a little, remembering how the woman in front of him knew who he was earlier that day, but not now.

Gabriella just listened quietly as Troy seemed to let all his feelings out. She knew he wasn't talking to her anymore; he was talking to his wife. The end of the speech hit her hard though. Was it really true?

"It's our anniversary today?" she asked in a slow tone. Thinking of an anniversary was hard, but she felt even worse as he slowly nodded his head.

"3 years…" he stated, looking down at the floor while still rubbing her cast.

"God, Troy. I am so…sorry." She said quietly, and reached over with her good hand, careful not to upset her ribs, and lifted his face up to look at her. "I really am."

"Thank you, but it's not your fault. Just focus on getting better, okay?" he chuckled a little bit, and stood up, walking towards the door. "I'll send your mom in when she gets here." He said, glancing at her one last time before shutting the door.

Gabriella stared at the spot where Troy last stood.

"Why the hell is this happening to me?"

* * *

Ms. Montez grabbed her bag and frantically rushed to the front of the terminal. Her son-in-law was supposed to be picking her up any minute now, and she was going to get to see her daughter.

Looking up at the Albuquerque sky, she remembered all the good times that her daughter and her had. A part of her always wished that she would have settled down here, but she knew that with her mother's Alzheimer's getting worse, she needed to help her sister take care of her.

A star twinkled as the woman remembered one of the best days in her daughter's life…

"_Mom! MOM!" Gabriella yelled as she ran down the stairs in a black sweater dress with black boots on. _

"_Honey, you don't have to shout. You still have time. Calm down Gabi." She said, coming out from the kitchen into the foyer. "What's wrong?"_

"_Do I look okay? I mean, seriously, I look fine, right? Not too young but not too old?" Her daughter shot questions out at her._

"_No sweetheart, you look beautiful. Troy will love it." _

_Tonight was her first date with Troy. That boy had finally gathered the courage to ask her out, and she couldn't have been happier, or more worried. She knew Troy was a very nice boy, but she also didn't want Gabriella to get hurt._

_The doorbell rang, and her daughter glanced at her with panic in her eyes. She laughed._

"_Gabi, have fun tonight okay? You and Troy have been friends for how long? You still are friends. Don't worry. Be back by 11 though, okay?" she lectured, watching as her daughter nodded her head, and then opened the door._

_From behind the kitchen wall, Ms. Montez observed how Troy's jaw dropped slightly, and chuckled as Gabriella blushed, and shut the door._

_It was hard for Ms. Montez to let Gabriella go out on her first date, but after the young girl came home with a bright smile and refused to tell her what happened on the date, she knew it must have gone well._

A car stopped in front of the older woman, grabbing her attention away from her memory. The driver door opened, and her son-in-law, Troy, stepped out, walking over to the sidewalk to give her a big hug.

"Good to see you, Troy." She said as he pulled away and took her luggage to the trunk of the car.

"Sorry it has to be under these circumstances." He replied, closing the door to the car for her.

On the way to the hospital, Troy filled her in on what happened with Gabriella, and all of the damage that was a result of the accident – including the memory loss. Ms. Montez was shocked, but she stayed silent the entire time, thinking about her daughter and about Troy as well.

"Troy." She started. He briefly took his eyes off the road to look at her and then averted his gaze.

"Yes?"

"How are you holding up? You said that you saw her, well, what did you guys talk about? Was she scared at all? Uncomfortable? Or was it like she knew who you were but just couldn't place the face?"

Troy flinched a little bit, giving Ms. Montez the impression that it had not gone well. She watched him gain composure before he spoke.

"She had no idea who I was or that we have Caleb. She, well, I could tell she was trying to be nice and polite, which was always how she is, but I knew that she was very uncomfortable with the situation." He said in a low tone, and Mrs. Montez knew that she should not push with further questions. She could already tell he was upset.

Arriving at the hospital, Troy put the car in park and opened her car door once again. They walked into the ER patient waiting area where Lucille and Jack were waiting with Caleb, who was being entertained by several nurses.

"Carmen! How are you?" Lucille immediately stood up and walked over to hug the other woman.

"I'm fine. It's Gabriella I'm worried about. Have you seen her yet?" Carmen Montez asked.

"No. I don't think it would be good for her to see Jack and me, when she doesn't even know who her husband or son is." Lucille explained.

Carmen nodded and walked over to the corner of the waiting room, where Troy was currently playing blocks with Caleb. She smiled at the sight. Troy was such a good father, and he really did care about her daughter and her grandson.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you?" she asked the little boy, and he craned his head up to look at her.

"GRANDMA CARMEN!" he shouted loudly, attracting the attention of several other people in the waiting room. He jumped up and hugged her around the legs tightly.

"Hey sweetie! Good to see you!" she said, crouching on her knees to talk to him at eye level.

"I missed you Grandma!" he said with a bright smile, but then it faltered a little bit.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Troy stepped in to ask his son. Caleb looked between his grandmother and his father, and his lip quivered a little bit.

"Grandma, is mommy with you? I miss her…" he said, and his lip started to quiver even more. Troy immediately wrapped his arms around his son and began to comfort him as Mrs. Montez looked on.

"No sweetie. Mommy left for a little while. She'll be back…tomorrow?" Carmen looked to her son-in-law, who nodded.

Caleb let out a sigh and plopped down in the middle of the floor, letting go of his father. He put his head in his little hands and looked at the floor.

"Come on, don't be like that Caleb. She'll be back before you know it, okay?" Troy said, standing up to whisper to Carmen.

"He doesn't know what happened yet. He just knows that Gabriella had an accident." Troy sighed, and sat back down in a chair near the play area. Ms. Montez followed suit.

Around 30 minutes passed after Troy had informed the doctors that Gabriella's mom was here, that a door opened and a nurse wheeled out the young woman. Jack had taken Caleb to the bathroom, luckily, but none of the three remaining people noticed her being wheeled into the room. It was when she recognized her mom that all heads turned.

"MOM! Oh my God! I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed, and Carmen got up from her chair, tears forming in her eyes.

The nurse left Gabriella in the wheelchair in the area where Troy, Lucille, and Carmen were sitting, and went over to assist another patient.

Troy watched as Gabriella gave her mother a hug. Lucille, this being the first time she saw Gabriella after the accident, had tears forming in her eyes as she looked at her son as well as her daughter-in-law.

"Mom, I really need to talk to you…" Gabriella said, subtly glancing at Troy, who had his head in his hands again. Ms. Montez noticed this and decided that she would take Gabriella to the cafeteria.

Once they were settled in, Gabriella burst into sobs.

"Mom, I don't know what to do! I'm 25 years old but I have no idea what happened when I was 16 to yesterday! I want to remember, but I can't. All of these people, Mom. I don't know who they are! They act like I was a big part of there life, but, how can I be when I don't feel anything for them."

Ms. Montez nodded, tearing up once again. She felt terrible for her daughter. It was tough being completely helpless like this.

"Honey, those people in there – Troy, Lucille, Jack, and Caleb – you made a significant impact on their lives. Lucille and Jack are Troy's parents, and you were like a second daughter to them. Caleb, your little boy, is the sweetest thing ever, and he just asked me about an hour ago where you were and when you were coming back." Ms. Montez told her daughter as she looked up at her mother, tears also evident in her eyes.

"Troy, now, you have already talked to. I know you can't remember, sweetie, but we moved to Albuquerque when you were sixteen. You and Troy became fast friends, but it was odd. You were always into science and math, and school, and Troy was the most popular jock at your high school. For some reason, you guys fell really hard for each other, and ended up dating from your junior year through college, and got married soon after. You were always so happy with him, sweetheart. I believe you told me on the eve of your wedding that you truly thought he was your soul mate."

"Mom…How can I love him if I don't even know him?" she asked, staring at her hands.

"You don't have to love him. Troy understands that. But the reason that I'm not staying with you and Troy is because I think you need some time alone with your family. If I am there, all you will do is talk to me, and avoid everyone else. Get to know them. The doctor's say that your memory will come back, more likely than not."

Gabriella smiled slightly, not knowing what to say.

"Come on. Let's go back to the waiting room and I can introduce you to Troy's mother." Carmen smiled wheeling Gabriella out of the cafeteria and through the hallways.

Lucille looked up as the two women entered the waiting room area for the second time. Troy's eyes carefully avoided Gabriella's as she started to study him. Lucille noticed this, and made a mental note to talk to Troy later about that.

"Gabriella, this is Lucille." Carmen said, gesturing to the lady sitting across from Troy. Gabriella smiled politely at her.

"I hope you feel better soon, Gabriella." Lucille quickly glanced at Troy, who seemed to be looking out the window now, instead of at his wife.

"Thank you. That is very kind." The young brunette replied, and then turned her attention back to Troy.

She couldn't see his face because he was looking outside, but she needed to tell him something.

Slowly, Gabriella reached with her good arm to try and grab his hand, but she kept coming up short. Reaching once again, Carmen noticed her daughter's actions and decided to help her out.

"Troy." She said politely, getting his attention. The young man whipped his head around and stared up at Ms. Montez until he realized that Gabriella was reaching for him. He quickly captured her hand in between both of his.

"What wrong?" he asked with a concerned expression on his face. Lucille and Carmen watched attentively. They too, were curious as to what Gabriella was going to say.

"Troy…please don't be mad." She said, looking at the ground. Troy looked exhausted, and she couldn't help but feel terrible about what this was doing to him.

"No, no sweetheart. It's not your fault. I'm not mad at all, Gabriella." He said, staring at her big brown eyes and beautiful curly hair. She was gorgeous even when she was injured.

"I'm sorry." She said, and winced as the pain resurfaced in his eyes. A nurse quickly came over and interrupted the moment.

"Excuse me ladies, and sir," she smiled. "but we have to get Gabriella back to her bed. She needs rest if she is going to be able to get out tomorrow evening."

"Bye Mom." Gabriella sighed, and was wheeled out of the room. Troy watched with a helpless look on his face.

"Troy, honey. Do you want to take Caleb home and get some rest? You too, Lucille. You and Jack should spend the night at Troy's. I'll stay here tonight with Gabriella.

"Are you sure. I don't mind staying. But you're right. Troy, you need to go home and get some rest." Lucille said, looking at her son.

"It's fine. You four go home and I'll stay here." Carmen pushed.

"Okay." Troy gave in. He hated the idea of leaving Gabriella, but then again, Caleb did need to get some rest in his own bed.

"I'll see you all in the morning!" Carmen called after the mother and son as they looked around for Jack and Caleb. Soon after they found them, the forgotten family left the hospital.

"Oh, Gabi. If only you could see Troy now…" Carmen sighed, sitting back down in the waiting room.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't need anything else, Troy?" Mrs. Bolton asked again. Troy sighed. He knew that she was just worried about him.

"No thanks. You and dad have a good nights rest, okay? Thanks for all that you've done today. I really appreciate you being at the hospital and helping me with Caleb." The young man replied, trying to get away from his parents and just go to bed.

"No problem, son. I'm sorry about what happened today. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Stick it out." Jack said, giving his son a hug. His years of coaching basketball showed through in his speeches to Troy.

"Thanks Dad, Mom. I'm going to go to bed now. Caleb's all tucked in, so you don't have to worry about it." He added when his mother lifted a finger.

Troy stepped into the master bedroom that he had woken up in earlier that day. Looking at the bed, he remembered the greeting that had been exchanged that morning.

Changing into his pajamas, Troy climbed into the empty bed, and looked at the spot where Gabriella normally slept. His hand grazed the pillow.

"Happy Anniversary."

* * *

**Once again, ****I'm not happy with this chapter****, but I wanted to get one up for you guys. Next chapter will be so much better though. The first two have to set everything up. By the way, in case you didn't read the top author's note – all the medical stuff is made up. I have no idea how long it takes to heal or how memory loss works. Lol. **

**I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought – review please!**

_Next Chapter:_

Troy finally gets to take Gabriella home from the hospital. How will she react to seeing their house? What will she do when she meets Caleb? How are Troy and Gabriella going to share a room if she doesn't even know who he is?

_Wounded Sparrow_


	3. Baby Steps

Chapter 3! Alright. My intentions of writing this entire story before posting this chapter have basically been lost. I still have to write the chapter after this, and well, the entire story as well. Lol. I'll get working, I guess. You guys might have to wait a while for updates after this one though. But I'll try my hardest!

Enjoy! Please R&R! It makes my day!

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter:** Baby Steps

**Rating:** T (a few swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

Troy woke up the following morning to a bright stream of sunlight shining through his window. He rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, two knocks on his door prevented him from doing so. 

"Troy, sweetie, are you up?" Lucille Bolton opened her son's door. Troy sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes.

"Well, even if I wasn't up, you probably would have woken me up by asking that." Troy stated, watching as his mother ignored his comment and walked into the room, folding up pieces of clothing that he had thrown on the floor last night.

"Do you always do this? I thought I raised you better." Troy chuckled.

"No. Just in a hurry to get to sleep last night. I was exhausted." He said, getting himself out of bed and to the doorway of his room. "You coming?" he asked.

"Yeah."

The mother and son walked into the hallway, where they were met by Jack carrying Caleb in his arms. The older man let the little toddler down and he quickly rushed over to his father.

"Daddy!" he exclaimed, and Troy laughed, picking him up.

"Hey buddy." He said. Glancing over at his parents he asked a question that he was dying to know the answer to. "Did Carmen call?"

Mrs. Bolton lowered her head. "No. We haven't heard anything. I'm sorry, Troy."

"It's fine." He shook it off. Caleb didn't need to see him upset. He still didn't want his little boy to know about Gabriella's situation just yet.

"Hey daddy," Caleb look up at his father as the three adults walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah Caleb, what's up?"

"Mommy's coming home today, right?" the toddler's big brown eyes locked with his blue ones.

Lucille and Jack exchanged a quick glance and then look at their son. The parents were worried about Troy. They knew how much he cared about Gabriella and felt that the situation was affecting him more than he let on.

"Yeah. Mommy's coming home." Troy answered, setting his toddler down. God, he really did have Gabriella's eyes.

"So, what time should we leave to go pick her up?" Jack asked, helping himself to a piece of toast that Lucille had made.

"I think that we should call Carmen and see how she is. I mean, the doctor's were optimistic and everything, so, maybe she remembered something overnight…" Lucille trailed off, seeing the look on her son's face.

"No. She didn't remember anything. She would have called me if she remembered." Troy said, stirring his coffee. It was still hard to believe, but somehow he was getting adjusted to the fact that he was simply a person in Gabriella's eyes.

"Well, I think we should go in around five o'clock? She gets released sometime tonight, so I think that we'll have plenty of time to wait for her." Jack said, eyeing Caleb meaningfully. Troy nodded, knowing his son didn't need to sit in a waiting room the entire day.

"That's fine. I'll call Carmen after breakfast and tell her the plan. Maybe we can take Caleb out to the gym or something. Would you come, Dad?" Troy asked his father, who nodded vigorously.

"I'm all for it. We have to start training this little superstar at a young age if he's going to be as successful as his father is." Jack smiled. "Speaking of which, Troy, I know it's summer, but when does your vacation end?"

"I go back to mandatory practices in a month." Troy answered, suddenly looking up from his coffee. "Great!" he yelled.

"What's wrong?" Lucille asked with her face full of worry.

"What am I going to do when my season starts? I'll be traveling for days at a time and Gabriella is going to be here all by herself!" He sighed. This was a tough situation.

"Well, sweetheart, we'll figure that out when the time comes. For now, let's just hope she gets her memory back soon." Lucille said in a tone that told Troy to drop the subject.

"Yeah. Let's hope so." Troy sighed.

* * *

"Good morning, sleepyhead." 

The blinds were pulled apart, allowing the sunlight to shine into Gabriella's room. The young brunette groaned, closing her eyes once again, hoping to get at least another minute of sleep.

Her mother had stayed with her last night. They had stayed up talking until about two in the morning. Now, at twelve, Gabriella still wasn't ready to wake up, even after ten hours of sleep.

She had to admit, however, that even with the lack of sleep, Gabriella did obtain some valuable information. She had made note of special occasions, birthdays, and everything possible about Caleb. Even though she couldn't remember her son, she still wanted a young child like him to have a mother figure at home.

"Good morning." Gabriella replied, her eyes widening slightly as a nurse entered the room to check her stats.

"So, I was thinking that we could go out to dinner with Troy, his parents, and Caleb tonight after you get out of the hospital. Would you be up to that, or do you not have much of an appetite?" Ms. Montez asked her daughter.

"No, that's fine. Not too fancy though. I'm going to be wearing my bloody clothes out of here." Her daughter laughed.

"Oh! I completely forgot! Sorry about that honey. I'll have Troy bring up something for you. Let me call Lucille to see what there plan is today." Mrs. Montez answered, and immediately began digging through her purse for her phone.

"Will I get to meet Caleb today?" she asked in a quiet voice. The thought of a husband scared her enough, but a child? She was a mom.

"I think so. We still have to find out if Troy wants you guys to meet a certain way, so that there's less of an impact on him. He may want you to pretend that you remember Caleb. I'm not sure." Grabbing the phone out of her purse, the elder Montez made her way to the room's door. "I'll be right back sweetie. We can't use cell phones in this part of the hospital." She smiled, leaving Gabriella to her own thoughts.

* * *

The phone rang at the Bolton household, and all heads, except Caleb's, turned at the sound. Troy looked a bit fearful, so Lucille decided that she better answer it for him. 

"Hello? Bolton residence."

"Lucille, hi, it's Carmen. I just had a few questions for you regarding today's events."

"Anything new?" Lucille asked, knowing what the answer would be. She glanced at her son, who was now interested in what she was saying.

"I'm sorry, but no. The doctor said, though, that Gabriella's ribs have healed at an incredible pace, and that she will be able to walk out of the hospital with just a bandage around them. Apparently, Gabriella was extremely lucky to have this little of damage. Except for her brain, of course." Carmen stated. She heard Lucille sigh on the other side of the line.

"Well, that's good." Mrs. Bolton said in a soft tone. She was happy about Gabriella's ribs, but looking at her son's downfallen face was heartbreaking for her as well. It was strange, but not only did Troy miss his wife, but Lucille missed her daughter-in-law as well. They got along great, and had a lot of fun memories. "So what are you wondering about?"

"Well," Carmen started, "I guess the first thing that we want to ask is whether or not Troy wants Gabriella to meet Caleb today. I guess we can talk about that when you guys get here. Also, do you think that Troy could bring Gabi a fresh change of clothes? I thought we could take her out to eat tonight, nothing heavy, of course. She joked about not going somewhere fancy because she would be walking out of the hospital in blood-soaked clothes." Carmen chuckled, and Lucille joined her.

"Sure, I'll let Troy know. We plan on getting there around five tonight. Is that okay? Jack thought that Caleb shouldn't sit around all day, like yesterday." Lucille asked.

"I agree. Gabriella felt horrible that you all waited for hours. She'll be happy to hear that you are having some fun. Basketball, I presume?" Knowing Troy, Carmen figured it would be something to do with sports.

"Of course. Well, tell Gabriella that we hope she's better, and that we're looking forward to seeing her tonight!" Lucille glanced at her son once again, who was in an intense conversation with his father. "Bye!"

Hearing his mother end the conversation, Troy's attention turned back to her.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Well, I think you know that she still doesn't remember anything." Lucille started, and watched her son nod his head in agreement. "But, there is good news. It appears that her ribs are healing at a fast pace, so she will be able to walk out of the hospital today, instead of sitting in a wheelchair."

Troy let out a sigh. "That's great. What else did Carmen say?"

"Well, she asked if you could bring Gabriella a fresh change of clothes for her. The only ones she has are bloody. I assume that we're taking her out to dinner, so, perhaps something comfortable, but fancy?" Lucille suggested.

Troy nodded his head, taking a last sip of coffee and rinsing out his glass. "I'll pick something out right now, that way we can go straight from the gym to the hospital."

Lucille's nose wrinkled up in disgust. "Troy. You would see Gabriella after basketball? When you're all sweaty and gross?"

"Mom…" Troy walked over to pat her on the back. "They have showers there." He said, and made his way up to the master bedroom.

* * *

"Excuse me, Miss Montez." A nurse poked her head into Gabriella's room. The brunette became confused at the smile on her face. 

"Yes?" she asked politely.

"There is a man and woman here to see you. Is it alright if they come in?" the nurse turned around to mutter something to the people outside the door.

"Uh…sure?" Was it Troy's parents? Her mom had said they weren't coming until later that day.

The door opened all the way to reveal a couple with a wrapped box in their hands. Gabriella did not recognize them, but the woman bounded through the room, sat in her bedside chair, and took her hand.

"Gabriella, I am so glad that you are okay!" Tears started to stream out of her eyes as she studied her friend, lying in the hospital with bandages and heart monitors.

"Taylor, honey, she doesn't know who you are." The man whispered, his wild hair startled Gabriella for a moment, but soon she realized that she must have known these people, or, was supposed to know these people.

"Oh… right." The woman wiped her tears away, and put out a small smile. "I'm Taylor Danforth, or McKessie if that helps you remember anything. This is my husband Chad." Taylor motioned to the man standing above her. He let out a small smile.

"Hi." Gabriella said shyly, and then decided to be bold and ask a question. "I know this is really an awkward question, but, could you tell me how I knew you?"

Taylor chuckled. "We were best friends. We met the first day you moved to Albuquerque. I gave you the 411 on these jocks, meaning Chad and Troy. Chad is Troy's best friend." Taylor explained. For some reason, Gabriella found the girl's presence comforting. She could see why they were friends.

"Anyway, did Troy tell you how you guys met?" Chad asked, receiving a glare from his wife because of the interruption.

"No. He didn't. Did we meet on my first day or something?" Gabriella asked, inviting Chad to sit down on the bed. He did, and immediately launched into the story, leaving Gabriella with a smile on her face.

"Not quite. It was on New Year's Eve, and I guess you guys met at a ski resort somewhere. You were both vacationing at the place, and it turns out, you just happened to move to the same school. He said something about singing karaoke." Chad laughed. "You and Troy though. East High was sure thrown into a whirlwind. You guys decided to audition for the winter musical, which caused everyone in the school to break out of their cliques."

"Yeah." Taylor smiled. "And if it wasn't for you two, Chad and I probably would have never ended up together, and been this happy." She reached over to grab her husband's hand.

Gabriella smiled. They were so cute together, and looked very happy, indeed. So this was her best friend, and her husband's best friend. And they were married. _How convenient_ she thought.

The door opened and Ms. Montez walked into the room, smiling at the sight of Taylor and Chad.

"Hi Carmen! How are you?" Taylor jumped up and ran over to hug the woman.

"I'm very good. How about you? And you Chad?" she addressed the man as he, too, gave her a hug.

"We're good. We called Troy late yesterday to see if he and Gabriella wanted to go out to dinner tonight, but Jack answered the phone since he was in bed, and filled us in on everything." Chad said, glancing over at his wife who was now intensely engaged in a conversation with a smiling Gabriella.

"I don't understand." Ms. Montez remarked, looking at her daughter.

"Understand what?" Chad asked, turning his attention to the two women as well. They were now giggling about something, and Gabriella's smile had gotten larger.

"She has no idea who Taylor is, and look at how open she's being with her. Troy came in here yesterday, and it was so… awkward. She didn't know what to say, and he didn't either. I just don't understand why she can open up to Taylor but not Troy."

"It's strange how things like that work out, isn't it? Maybe it's because they're both women." He laughed, momentarily leaving the room to get a coffee. Ms. Montez continued to watch the two girls bond. Smiling as she realized that Gabriella was comfortable around one more person now. It was a start.

* * *

Troy opened the closet doors and studied his wife's wardrobe. He always went in the closet to pick out his outfits for the day, but had never really paid attention to his wife's side. 

A bright blue color caught his attention, and he pulled out a dress that would go down to Gabriella's knees. Suddenly, the piece of clothing clicked in his head, and he remembered where he had seen her wear it.

_Troy sat in his seat, kneading his hands together nervously. On his right was his father, and Gabriella sat on his left. This was the moment that his life depended on. If this didn't fall through, he would have to make a complete u-turn. It would set him back, career-wise, so many years._

_Gabriella grabbed one of his hands and squeezed it. He looked down and her and saw her giving an encouraging smile. He smiled back. God, he was still nervous though. Most people would have had him picked for number 7, and they just finished number 2. _

_The commissioner stepped out from behind the wall, and advanced to the podium. He smiled at the room, and then looked down at the piece of paper he was holding._

"_With the third pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, the Albuquerque Redhawks select… Troy Bolton from the University of New Mexico." _

_Gabriella let out a scream as his mouth opened in shock. Jack had a huge smile on his face and patted him on the back. Troy couldn't believe it. The number three pick in the NBA draft. He was going to play for the Albuquerque Redhawks. He was going to be a professional basketball player. _

_Once Troy woke up from his daze, he turned to Gabriella and leaned down, giving her a long, enthusiastic kiss. When he pulled away, she was blushing, and he smiled at how cute she looked. _

_Advancing to the podium to shake the NBA Commissioner's hand, Troy looked back in the crowd, his eyes catching the bright blue color of his girlfriend's dress. It was that moment that Troy realized, even though he had gotten what he had been working for his entire life, he would give it up in a second for Gabriella._

"That was an amazing day." Troy whipped around at the sound of his mother's voice. He blushed, noticing her gaze on the dress he was holding, and put it back quickly.

"Do you want me to help you?" she asked, walking over to the clothes. Browsing through them, she quickly spotted a pair of black dress pants and a white collared shirt.

"So we're definitely going out tonight?" Troy asked, looking at the outfit.

"Yep, and Chad and Taylor are coming with."

"Really?" Troy perked up. If Chad was there, at least he would have someone to talk to about Gabriella's situation, and a way to escape an awkward situation between them.

"Yeah. Carmen called again. They visited Gabriella, and Taylor and her hit it off really well. It's like they never stopped being friends…" she trailed off at the comment. Troy's eyes were immediately cast downwards toward the floor, and Mrs. Bolton started to apologize.

"I'm sorry, Troy. I didn't mean to tel-"

"It's fine. I'm glad she's warming up to someone. Maybe there is hope." He said, glancing at the outfit one more time. "She'll like that. Let's bring that one for her. If you don't mind, I'm going to get changed for basketball." He told his mother, and she immediately backed out of the room without a word.

* * *

Taylor and Chad had left a while ago, and Gabriella was getting bored. Her mother was reading a book, and she was tired of watching TV. 

"It is so boring in here!" Gabriella groaned, noticing how her mother looked up from her book with a smile on her face.

"You always were so impatient." Carmen chuckled, her face then growing serious. "Can I ask you a question, Gabi?"

"Sure." Gabriella answered, somewhat surprised at her mother's tone.

"When you saw me for the first time, did I look older to you?" Ms. Montez looked a little embarrassed to ask the question, but curious at the same time.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm 25 now, and I remembered what you had looked like at 15, but nevertheless, you aged very well Mom." Gabriella grinned, seeing her mother's happy expression.

"Why thank you, sweetheart… OH!" Carmen jumped at the sound of a bird hitting the window behind her. The poor thing must have been flying towards the room, not knowing there was a window there.

Ms. Montez put her hand on her heart as she watched the bird fly away, uninjured. Gabriella started laughing hysterically and pointed to her mother, when something glistened in the sunlight, catching her attention.

Carmen looked from the window after she noticed the sudden silence of her daughter. Gabriella had tears starting to form in her eyes as she studied the diamond ring that was on her left hand.

"Oh my God, Mom. This must have been so expensive. It's so beautiful" She let a small tear roll down her face. Carmen got out of her seat and walked over to the bed.

"Isn't it? It's even more special. The fact that Troy bought it before he got drafted into the NBA, I mean." The elder Montez commented.

"What?" Gabriella looked up and her mom. "He's in the NBA?" She exclaimed. _What the hell?_ She thought.

Carmen nodded. "He's a very good player. Troy plays starting guard for the Albuquerque Redhawks. Got drafted in 2004."

"You have got to be kidding…" Gabriella stared at the ring. "How could a guy like him ever see something in a girl like me… the freaky math girl?"

"He asks himself the same question everyday, but loves every minute that he spends with you. Troy can't believe that a girl like you is attracted to him, believe it or not." Carmen looked at the clock: _3:49_. "Come on, Gabi. We only have about another hour until they come and another three until they release you. Grin and bear it babe." The two girls laughed slightly and then went back to their previous activities.

* * *

"Go left!" 

Troy stopped dead in his tracks and back peddled to the left side of the wing. His father tossed him the ball, and Troy took a three-pointer.

_Swish_

"Nice shot, son!" Jack applauded from half court. Caleb then came running out onto the floor.

"DADDY!" he yelled. Troy's attention turned to his two-year-old, who had been sitting on the bleachers with his mother for the last twenty minutes.

"Yeah, buddy, what's up?" Troy asked, kneeling down to the toddler's level.

"Can I try?" he whispered, as if it was a secret. Troy chuckled and pick up his son. "Daaaad!" Caleb complained, causing Troy to grin even more.

"Come on, Dad. I think it's time you teach your grandson a few moves." Troy nodded towards his father, and then handed the basketball to Caleb. The little boy immediately turned to dribble it and run down the court.

"Wow, Troy! You really have been training him." Jack complemented as the two men watched Caleb run down the court, bouncing the ball the entire way. He stopped at the block, however, and Troy immediately sprinted to his son.

"Here you go. Just throw it in there." Troy lifted up the boy and he shot the ball to the backboard, where it banked off of it and went into the hoop.

Both Jack and Lucille cheered as Troy set Caleb down. The toddler ran to his grandmother clapping his hands and smiling wide.

Troy laughed, but stopped as he overheard his son's words.

"Grandma Lucy, did you see that? I can't wait to tell Mommy!" he yelled, sitting down next to his grandmother. Both Jack and Lucille were quiet. Troy glanced at Caleb, and then back at the towel he was holding.

"So how are we going to tell him?" He asked his mom with sad eyes. Caleb was now bouncing the basketball in the corner of the gym. Lucille immediately took her cue and walked over to him.

"Troy, I think you should talk to Gabriella about this before you say anything. She might not want to tell him, or maybe she just wants to come right out and say it. Whatever you guys decide, the decision should be mutual. Caleb is just as much her son as he is yours, even if she has no idea who he his right now." Lucille said in a hushed whisper, and turned around to walk back to the bleachers.

Troy sighed, and glanced at his watch: _4:37_.

"Shit." He mumbled, and called out to his dad. "We have to go! Let's hit the showers. It's a fifteen minute drive to the hospital from here so we're already late."

Jack gave Caleb to Lucille and the two men hit the showers, both exhausted from an intense training session.

* * *

Ms. Montez looked at her watch, waiting outside the doors. It was 5:12 and her son-in-law had told her that he and his parents would be at the hospital by 5 pm. 

She watched as a black suburban pulled into the parking lot, smiling to herself as she saw Troy get out of the driver's side and open the passenger door. Caleb was sitting in his car seat, and Troy unbuckled the toddler swiftly and placed him on the ground next to his grandfather. Carmen shook her head at how cute it was.

"Sorry we're late, Carmen. The boys got a little carried away with basketball." Lucille apologized, hugging the other woman.

Ms. Montez nodded and smiled. "It's fine. I would have been surprised if they didn't." she chuckled.

"So, when am I going to get to see my daughter-in-law? Everyone else has seen her." Jack asked as the group of 5 walked into the waiting room.

"When she gets released, Jack. Be patient." Lucille scolded and Ms. Montez spoke up, interrupting the quarrel.

"Troy, Gabriella paid you a very nice compliment today." Carmen said, attracting not only the attention of her daughter's husband, but the attention of his parents as well.

"What did she say?" Troy asked, truly curious.

"She was pointing to the window earlier today when she noticed the ring on her left hand." Ms. Montez began.

Lucille awed. "That is so cute!"

"What did she say about it?" Troy asked. Did she think it was too much? He remembered the day that he proposed, and how she had tears streaming down her face when she saw it.

"She said that it was beautiful, and that it must have been very expensive. She also learned that her husband is in the NBA. Now _that_ is a way to shock a person." Carmen smiled.

Troy laughed. "What did she say after you told her?"

"She couldn't understand why a guy like you would even look at a girl like her. Weird hunh? It was like déjà vu for me. When you guys started dating, she would always ask me that."

Troy shook is head slightly. He needed her more than she would _ever_ need him. She kept him grounded, and happy to be alive. _He_ was the one who was lucky to have her.

"Well, did the doctor still say she was getting out at sevenish?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. He said he may move it up to 6:45, but that would be the earliest." Carmen answered. "He still wants to run some last minute tests."

"Well, the doctor changed his mind." The four adults' heads turned around to see Doctor Weber with a clipboard in his hands. "Sorry." He laughed at the expression on Carmen's face.

"It's fine. What's the news?" Jack asked, speaking up for the group.

"Well," Doctor Weber began, "I feel that Gabriella is stable enough to leave at 6 tonight, so in about 45 minutes I will wheel her out here, and then she can walk to the car." He smiled, and then looked at Troy. "Did you bring clothes for her?"

Troy glanced down at the bag he was holding, momentarily forgetting it was there. "Yeah. We figured she wouldn't want to wear a hospital gown out of here." He smiled a little bit, and then looked back at the doctor.

"Would you like to take that to her room? She can get dressed now, but carefully. I don't want her irritating her ribs or her wrist." The doctor commented, and then looked at the digital clock on the wall. "Well, I must be going, but I will see you guys soon enough."

After the doctor left, Troy handed the bag to Ms. Montez. She gazed back at him with a confused expression.

"Troy, why did you give me the bag? Doctor Weber said you could take it in." Carmen encouraged the young man by putting the bag back into his arms. "Believe it or not, you're going to be spending a lot of time together, alone, so you need some practice. The more practice you have, the less awkward it gets." She said cheerfully, and watched her son-in-law leave the waiting room.

"They always need pushes, don't they?" Lucille commented, and the two women laughed while Jack continued to play with Caleb.

* * *

Gabriella was deeply immersed in the book that her mother had been reading earlier when there was a knock on the door. 

"Come in." she invited, and placed the book on her bedside table. The door opened to reveal Troy, carrying a bag.

"Hi." She greeted, once again feeling terrible as she saw how he gazed at her for a couple of seconds with sadness in his eyes.

"Hey. How are you?" Troy asked softly, walking towards the bedside chair and sitting down. Gabriella shifted herself so that she was facing him.

"I'm okay. The pain meds are still working for me, but, I have to say that I'm glad to get out of here. It's so boring!" Gabriella complained once again, smiling as she saw her husband wear a grin.

"Well, the doctor moved up your release time to six, so you'll have one less hour of boredom."

"That's good. I don't know how much longer I can take this." She joked, glancing down at the bag that was in Troy's hands. "My clothes?"

"Oh! Yeah, here. Better than a hospital gown, I suppose." Troy commented, momentary looking at the bag before handing it to her. "I'll let you get dressed." He added, standing up.

What happened next shocked both Troy and even Gabriella a little bit. For once, she did something impulsive.

"Troy, wait. Don't go." She said, and Troy turned around in surprise, noticing how Gabriella blushed at his glance.

"What's wrong?" he asked, still standing in the middle of the room. His blue eyes pierced into hers, taking her aback.

"Well," Gabriella began her explanation by looking at his feet. It wasn't just to make him feel better. She really did need help with this particular aspect of daily living. "God, I know this sounds really weird, but…_I can't get dressed by myself._" The brunette mumbled quickly, unable to look Troy in the eyes.

"Oh." Troy's response was actually kind of cute. She looked up at him, and could tell how uncomfortable he was with the situation. Gabriella was sure that if she still remembered him, he would have been more than happy to help her.

"I'm sorry Troy. It's just my shirt, because of my ribs and all. Would you mind helping me?" she asked, suddenly feeling self conscious. She had a lot of bruises from the accident, and didn't look too great to the eye.

What had gotten into her? Letting a man who she met only yesterday help her get dressed? She knew that she still had a bra on, but please!

"Of course." Troy mumbled, and then strolled over to the bag of clothing. He got out the white shirt, and then looked over at Gabriella, who had now swung her legs over so she was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Troy willed himself to be strong about this. He had to remember that the Gabriella in front of him wasn't his "wife".

Troy set the shirt on the bed, and glanced toward the door to make sure it was closed.

"Well, I can't lift my left arm too high, and my right arm has a broken wrist." Gabriella giggled, catching Troy's attention. "This is going to be a challenge, isn't it?"

There was something about Troy that made Gabriella come out of her shell a little. She wasn't able to explain it, but it was comforting.

"Yes it will. Well, let's just see what happens." Troy gave the brunette an encouraging grin. Gabriella removed her dressing gown, surprising Troy by the fact that she already had her jeans on.

"Scooted into them. Takes talent." She smiled, suddenly feeling butterflies in her stomach once again.

Troy let out a laugh. She lifted her left arm as high as it could go, and relaxed her right arm. Troy slowly moved her t-shirt over her head and began to put her arm into it when she sucked in a quick breath, taking Troy off guard. He stopped.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worry covering his face.

Gabriella grinned, "Yeah. Your hands are just a little cold." She said, watching as Troy blushed.

"Sorry about that." He said, and continued to help her with her shirt.

The tiny brunette watched at how delicate Troy treated her. She had to admit it was reassuring, the fact that he was gentle. She could see why she had been attracted to him.

Gabriella smiled at the fact that Troy hadn't let his eyes wander to her chest once. She could see that it was taking great effort, but he succeeded, and her shirt was fully on.

"Thank you, Troy." She said. He blushed. "Also, thank you for not commenting on my bruises." Gabriella cast her eyes downwards in embarrassment.

"Hey, hey." Troy whispered, lifting her chin up so he could look her in the eyes. "You're beautiful just the way you are. I didn't even notice the bruises, Gabi." His voice was somewhat soothing, but Gabriella suddenly realized how close they were. She began to get uncomfortable, her momentary surge of confidence disappearing.

"Thanks." She said quietly, and looked away. Troy saw this and let out a sigh. He had believed they were getting somewhere, but in reality they weren't.

_Someday, things will start to go back to the way they were_ Troy thought as he left the room. Sure, their relationship would get better, but would it ever be the same?

* * *

Lame ending, I know. Okay, so seriously though, I have to stop there. I was going to include the **release from the hospital, the dinner, and her going home for the first time (plus meeting Caleb)**, but that would have easily been another 3,000 to 4,000 words, so I'm going to make that a single chapter! So sorry if you were looking forward to that! 

Just to touch base with you guys – do you like it so far? Hopefully it's interesting enough. I have plenty of ideas for this, so I'm assuming that it will be around 15 to 20 chapters. Sound good?

Anyway, **thanks so much for reading!** **Please review and tell me what you think!**

Wounded Sparrow

_It might be a while before my next update because I'm planning on writing the final chapter for __Coming Back to You__ next._


	4. Coming Home

I haven't updated in forever! I know! But I'm off of school for 2 weeks and I'm ready to post as many chapters as I can! For those of you reading Coming Back to You, it will be up soon! Thanks for sticking with me! Let me know what you think of it.

Also, happy holidays to all who are celebrating!

I finally finished a website that I was having fun making. **Be sure to check it out!** Click on the **Homepage** link on my profile page!

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **Coming Home

**Rating:** T (a few swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

Troy slouched in his chair, glancing at his son who was impatiently bouncing up and down. Jack, Carmen, and Lucille all watched the boy as well with amused faces. Caleb suddenly stopped, and stood still. Troy raised an eyebrow, knowing that the toddler had an idea.

Suddenly, Caleb took off, running through the doors of the waiting room. Troy's eyes followed for a few seconds before he realized what his son was doing.

"Shit." He muttered, and got out of his chair, running after his son.

"Caleb! Caleb, stop. Come here." Troy yelled to the toddler who was struggling to run faster than his father. The blue-eyed man easily caught up to the boy, but decided to slow down and play his son's game.

"Can't catch me daddy!" Caleb squeaked and started to laugh. Troy smiled, slowly trailing after the running boy. Suddenly, when Caleb wasn't looking, Troy scooped him up into his arms.

"Daddy! That's not fair!" Caleb complained with a frown on his face. Troy smiled at the toddler and ruffled his hair.

"Come on, buddy. We shouldn't be here." Troy said, and started to turn around. But, before he could fully do so, his son screeched with joy.

"MOMMY!" he yelled. Troy whipped around to find Gabriella being wheeled past the corner of the nurse's station. Caleb struggled in his arms, fighting to be set down.

Gabriella looked up at the screeching sound to find Troy holding a little boy in his arms. Both of the guys were looking at her. The toddler with an eager expression and Troy with wide eyes.

Then it clicked. The way the little boy looked like a younger version of Troy, except for the big brown eyes.

_It was her son._

"Caleb?" she asked, remembering the name that her mother had told her.

Troy nodded and set the toddler down on the ground, watching as the boy ran over to his mother. He was trying not to break down right on the spot as he watched Gabriella interact with their son.

Caleb climbed on Gabriella's lap and gave her a big hug. The young brunette was shocked at first, but then her motherly instincts took over and she hugged the young boy back. Tears started to pour out of her eyes as she looked at her husband. He watched with a sad expression on his face.

"Mommy, I missed you lots. Are you coming home now?" the toddler questioned, looking up at his mother after he pulled away from the hug.

Gabriella had a chance to really look at her son. He was very handsome for such a young age. She smiled at his questioning face, and how he plopped down in her lap and started a conversation with her.

This was her little boy. Her son. Her child. It seemed strange, but Gabriella loved this child more than anything, even though she had only met him less than a minute ago.

"Yes, sweetie. Mommy's coming home." She cooed, gently cupping his chubby face in her hands. He giggled and gave her another hug.

The tears had stopped flowing now, and Gabriella closed her eyes. She heard a clearing of a throat and opened them immediately.

Troy stood awkwardly with his hands in his pockets. When Gabriella looked at him, he averted his gaze. She sighed, returning her attention to the little boy on her lap.

"So, should we go see Grandma Carmen?" She asked the toddler, and he nodded furiously. She laughed, pulling him closer to her. The brunette glanced up at the nurse who had been wheeling her to the waiting room and nodded for her to keep going.

Troy watched as Gabriella and Caleb were steered toward the waiting room. He had wanted to discuss how she would meet their son before they did anything, but he figured that now was as good of time as ever.

She had been so open with the child. He saw it in her eyes. She _loved_ him. Sure, that was great. It was her son after all. But, Troy couldn't help but feel saddened. She didn't love him yet.

Troy shook off the thought, knowing that it was selfish to think that way. As the young man opened the door to the waiting room, he heard a squeal from his mother, who had just seen Gabriella and Caleb.

"Gabriella, it is so good to see you out of the hospital gown! Are you feeling better?" his mother asked politely as Troy sat down in the seat he had occupied moments before.

"Yes, Mrs. Bolton. Thank you for asking." Gabriella answered politely, sneaking a glance at Troy.

Jack stared at his daughter-in-law. She looked exactly the same, but her smile and the happiness in her eyes were gone. This was the girl who made his son's life worth living. It was the girl that he loved like a daughter.

"That's good dear. Gabriella, this is my husband, and Troy's father, Jack." Lucille introduced.

"Hello sir. Nice to meet you Mr. Bolton." Gabriella reached out from her wheelchair to shake the elder man's hand.

"Please, call me Jack. I'm glad that you're okay." He added.

"Thank you, Jack." Gabriella answered, suddenly blushing as she felt Troy's gaze on her. She glanced at him and gave a small smile. He returned the same one.

"So, sweetheart. I see that you've met your son." Carmen said, smiling at the toddler still holding on to his mother.

Gabriella looked down at her son and smiled. "Yeah. Isn't he adorable?" Gabriella gently kissed the little boy's forehead.

"They hit it off pretty well." Troy commented, receiving the attention of the family. A nurse hurried over with a clipboard.

"Excuse me, but I just need Mr. Bolton to sign this release form, and Ms. Montez can be on her way." The nurse smiled.

Troy ignored the way the nurse called Gabriella 'Ms. Montez', and stood up, grabbing the clipboard and pen. After signing his name and having the nurse help Gabriella out of the wheelchair and into the car, the family was on their way to the restaurant.

Jack drove while Lucille sat next to him in the passenger seat. Troy and Gabriella were in the back with Caleb in the car chair between them. Carmen was driving her own rental car.

Gabriella felt very awkward. Why did her mom leave her with the four people she didn't remember? The brunette shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She didn't mind these people, but she did mind the way they were treating her. Sure, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton were very warm, and Troy was gentle with her, but they treated her like a new student in a kindergarten class. Everything they said seemed well thought out, and almost… rehearsed. She hated all the small talk.

Nevertheless, it was Troy who she was timid around. Every time he was near, she had this weird feeling in her stomach. She recognized it to be guilt. She felt guilty for causing Troy this emotional pain.

It's not like he deserved it. Troy seemed like a nice guy. He was gentle with her, and sounded like he loved her. In fact, she could see it in his eyes when he looked at her. He truly cared.

But what was she going to do in a house with him? All alone?

If she told her mother about this, the woman would laugh. Carmen didn't understand how uncomfortable Gabriella felt around people she didn't know. But…maybe Taylor would.

"Troy?" Gabriella turned her attention to the young man sitting next to her. She immediately felt his parents' eyes glance at her through the mirror.

See – this is what she was talking about. Being the center of attention was not something she particularly liked.

Troy looked at Gabriella with a worried expression. "What's wrong?" he asked politely.

She smiled softly. "Are Taylor and Chad coming to dinner tonight?"

"Uh… yeah." Troy said, returning his attention to the window. Why the hell was it this difficult to talk to his wife? He just wanted this to end. To be able to wake up tomorrow morning and have it all be a dream.

Truthfully, Troy had never gone more than a week without seeing Gabriella and being able to hold her. Sure, there were times when he would have several away games in a row, but Troy would always make sure that he flew back to see his wife and son, if only for one night.

Troy was positive that this time he would have to go more than a week without holding Gabriella.

Therefore, Troy was positive that the upcoming week was going to be hell.

"That's good." Gabriella answered.

Caleb looked at both of his parents, without a clue that their relationship had changed at all.

* * *

It's not like the restaurant was any better. In fact, it was probably even more awkward. Sure, Chad and Taylor were able to keep the couple conversing, but unfortunately, not with each other.

"So, man. Coach said that he's moving preseason practice up a week. So we only have a month and a half left of vacation." Chad said, taking a spoonful of spaghetti of his plate.

"Seriously?" Troy questioned. Gabriella gauged his reaction. He looked distressed, putting his head in his hands.

Gabriella suddenly felt terrible as well. She wondered why he was so upset. Since he was sitting next to her, Gabriella reached over to him and took his hand. He immediately looked up at her.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He sighed and glanced over her face before rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about it." He gave her a small smile and released her hand. She returned the smile and went back to her conversation with Taylor, still worried about him.

"So, Taylor. Do I have a job? Do they know what happened?" Gabriella asked her friend who was sitting across from her. Taylor looked up after she finished chewing the food that was in her mouth.

"Yeah. I don't know if they're aware of the events, though. You were on your way to work when the accident happened."

Gabriella suddenly felt Troy's eyes on her; she turned her head to look at him.

"You work for an accounting firm as their public relations director. I called to let them know what happened. Your boss, Steven, feels terrible and said that you can take as much time off as you need." Troy said.

Gabriella had to try very hard to concentrate on what the young man was saying, rather than his eyes. She never noticed how… blue they were.

"Oh. Thank you." Gabriella quietly answered. She felt the entire table's eyes on her and suddenly felt very uncomfortable for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

"May I be excused?" Gabriella asked her mother. She saw the older woman raise and eyebrow and mentally slapped herself. She wasn't sixteen anymore. She didn't need to ask permission to leave the table.

Gabriella got up and hurried to the courtyard of the restaurant. She needed time to be alone. Time to think about what was going on. Time to decide what her next move was going to be.

"Gabriella?" the young brunette heard her name and looked up to find blue eyes staring at her.

Troy walked over to the bench where his wife was and sat down next to her, clasping his hands together in his lap. He didn't know what propelled him to come after her, but he felt that it was his responsibility to take care of her. Just like it had been when she knew who he was.

Of course, it could have had something to do with the feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watched her walk outside, moments before. Troy couldn't help but feel responsible for making her uncomfortable. She was really having a hard time adjusting to the situation, and he wanted to make it better.

After all, he still loved her.

Troy took a deep breath and glanced at Gabriella. She was staring down at her hands.

"I know this must be really hard for you. I understand, and I want to make sure that you can be as comfortable as possible. If I'm doing anything wrong, please tell me." Troy said quietly, not looking at the woman sitting next to him.

Gabriella felt her heart crack under the weight of her husband's words. Did he really think that he was making her uncomfortable?

Well, he kind of was. But it wasn't his fault. It was hers.

"Troy, it's not you. It's just… the situation. I promise." The brunette answered. Troy looked at her and their eyes connected. She could see an emotion brewing behind them, but couldn't identify it.

"I'm really sorry about all of this. Especially my parents being at the hospital. I was an idiot not to realize introducing you to more people you didn't know would make you uncomfortable. You were…" Troy trailed off, averting his gaze again.

"I was what?" Gabriella asked gently.

"You were always like that." Troy said quietly. Gabriella nodded.

"I didn't mind your parents being there, Troy. You needed someone to watch Caleb while you talked to the doctor, and…probably someone to talk to." Gabriella sighed, knowing that she was blubbering like an idiot.

"I'm sorry Troy. You're not the one who should be feeling guilty. I have completely ruined your anniversary, and everything else. I feel terrible." Gabriella confessed. "I'm so sorry." She added, standing up and making her way towards the restaurant door.

She felt a hand pull her back, and realized that Troy was standing too.

"Don't ever be sorry, Gabriella. It's not your fault. Please don't feel that way." Troy said, and Gabriella nodded. He smiled gently at her and released her hand.

"Come on. I think that everyone's getting ready to leave." Troy said, opening the door for her.

Gabriella sat back down in her seat. She noticed the curious glance of Taylor, but chose to ignore it.

A sense of security washed over her when she heard the murmur of Troy's voice as he talked with his father. At least someone understood what she was going through.

* * *

"So, dude. What happened with you and Gabriella back there?" Chad asked his friend as the two made their way home in Troy's car. There were three cars in which all of the family and friends were split up in.

Troy and Chad, along with Caleb, had taken Troy's car, leaving Taylor and Gabriella to drive home in Chad's car. Carmen, Jack, and Lucille were in Carmen's rental. All of the family was headed back to Troy's house.

"It was nothing." Troy said, quickly glancing behind him to check on his sleeping toddler. Caleb was wiped out from the day's events. "I just wanted to make sure that she is comfortable."

"Well, man. I know it's been hard. She seems like a different person, to me at least. She looks like Gabriella, but doesn't really act like her, you know? She's so shy." Chad commented.

Troy kept his eyes on the road, suddenly feeling torn.

"She's always a little shy around people she doesn't know." Troy said.

"I'm so sorry, dude. It must be really hard on you." Chad patted his friend's back quickly.

"I just. God, I have no idea. My life is out of control. I can't believe Gabriella had that significant of an impact on me!" Troy let out a frustrated sigh.

"You're acting like she's dead. Gabriella survived, Troy. You have a lot to be thankful for."

"You're right. I would rather deal with this the rest of my life than to not be able to see her everyday."

"There you go, man. Think positive. Deep down inside, your wife loves you. She just doesn't know it." Chad began fumbling with the radio.

"Yeah, whatever." Troy shook his head and continued to drive.

* * *

"Okay, if I ask you a question, can you give me your complete and honest advice without being judgmental?" Gabriella asked Taylor, the girl whom she now considered her best friend.

Taylor took her eyes off the road and looked at the brunette sitting beside her. She nodded slightly.

"Anything you want to tell me, Gabs. I promise I won't judge you." Taylor encouraged.

Gabriella took a deep breath. "Okay, well. I know this sounds really weird and all, because you are friends with Troy and so is Chad, but… is it really weird of me to be worried about what is going to happen to Troy and I, tonight? We're going to be all alone, Caleb will be asleep, and we are barely talking to each other. And…I'm really not comfortable sharing a bed with him, you know? I kind of just want to be alone."

Taylor nodded, still keeping her eyes on the road. She refused to let Gabriella know how hurt Troy would've been if he heard that. He was trying so hard to make her feel comfortable.

"Are we just going to like, stare at each other? I mean, it's going to be so awkward." Gabriella let out a frustrated sigh and sunk low in her seat.

"Do you… want something more to happen?" Taylor questioned, hearing the tone of voice her friend spoke in.

Gabriella was surprised at her friend's question. Did she want something else to happen?

"No. I just don't want things to be more awkward than they already are." The brunette explained, glancing over at Taylor. "Why?"

"Do you find Troy… attractive? At all?" Taylor asked, knowing that she would be getting somewhere with the conversation.

"Well…" Gabriella didn't know what the right answer was to that question. Sure, she thought he was attractive. His blue eyes and his muscular body were very appealing, but it was his personality that she liked more than anything. Troy was strong, but gentle with her.

"Yeah. He's good looking." Gabriella confessed. She could have sworn that a small smile crossed Taylor's face. "Again, why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just…give him a chance. He really loves you. Even though you don't remember him, he still does." Taylor said, pulling into the driveway of Troy's house behind his car. "Well, this is your house. Don't make me explain why it isn't a mansion, please." Taylor joked.

"I don't care." Gabriella said in a mesmerized tone. "I love it!" she squealed, suddenly excited to see the inside.

Taylor grinned at her friend's reaction. "Well, we should get going. They're already here."

Both girls got out of the car and walked inside the house.

* * *

"Well, we'll see you tomorrow." Lucille said, giving her son a hug. "_Be strong._" She whispered in Troy's ear. He nodded.

Why was it freaking him out so much? Everyone was making this situation – being alone with Gabriella – seem like it was a death match where someone was going to die.

"Alright, and you too Carmen?" Troy turned his attention to his mother-in-law.

"Of course. Around… noon. Sound good?" she asked.

"Perfect." Gabriella spoke up. Taylor and Chad had already left and Gabriella hadn't spoken since. This was the part of the night that she had been dreading. Caleb shifted slightly in her arms and she smiled at the sleeping toddler.

"Well, goodbye sweetheart." Carmen said, gently hugging her daughter and giving her grandson a kiss on the forehead. "_Relax._" The older Montez reminded her daughter, and Gabriella let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Bye, Gabriella. I'm glad that you're okay. Goodnight you two!" Jack chimed in and Troy gently shut the door behind him and their mothers.

Gabriella could feel her heart beating frantically. She was so nervous to be alone in a house with Troy. What if she said something hurtful without knowing it?

"Well, you've seen the downstairs, let me show you around the second level." Troy said gently, motioning to the stairs behind him with his head.

Gabriella followed the young man upstairs to where he opened a door. The walls were painted blue and there was a racecar bed in the middle of the room. She smiled.

"This is Caleb's room. We should probably put him to bed." Troy mentioned, glancing at his sleeping son.

Gabriella nodded and placed her toddler in the middle of the racecar bed, covering him gently with covers. She kissed his forehead and stood back as Troy did the same, gently ruffling his hair.

After Troy closed the door, he walked across the hallway to open another one. Again, it was a bedroom, but not for a child.

"This is the guest bedroom." He commented, closing the door quickly, but not before Gabriella saw the black piece of luggage lying on the floor.

The last door was opened to reveal a rather spacey room with a balcony closed off by two glass doors. There was a table and chairs placed among it.

The bed was very large. Large enough to fit two people, Gabriella realized.

"Oh." She muttered, catching the attention of her husband. "The master bedroom." She said and he nodded his head.

"Yeah. This is where you're going to be sleeping. Here, let me show you the closet." He said, and walked across the room to another door.

Gabriella peeked inside to find that only half of it was filled with clothes. All were stuff she would wear.

"Where's your stuff?" she asked quietly, silently cursing as she saw a hurt look flash across his face and disappear just as quickly.

"I'm going to be staying in the guest bedroom. I thought it would be more comfortable for you if we were separated." He confessed, looking at his wife.

"Troy, I can sleep in the guest bedroom. You sleep in here all the time. I really don't mind. Please don't put yourself out just because of the situation." Gabriella reasoned.

"It's fine. I really don't mind." Troy said, glancing behind him toward the door. Gabriella realized that he was just as uncomfortable as she was.

"Well…" he started, scratching the back of his neck. "I should probably get to bed. Caleb usually wakes up around seven-thirty, so..." Troy took a small step backward. "If you need anything, let me know." He added, and turned around, only to feel a small hand slip into his.

"Troy." Gabriella started, slowly turning him around. "Thank you. For everything." She said, and wrapped her arms around him.

Troy, startled at first, returned the hug. It gave him a sense of happiness to know that she still was caring. _Just like high school_ Troy thought.

"No problem. 'Night." Troy glanced into Gabriella's brown eyes and fought the growing urge to kiss her. Sure, it hurt that he couldn't be with her, but he was just going to have to give their relationship time.

The two adults got settled into their respective beds, each with a million different thoughts going through their head.

If only Troy and Gabriella knew how the next day's events were going to bring them just a _little_ closer.

* * *

**Yes, not many Troyella moments, but there will be in the next few chapters. Give them time! Lol. **

Now that the whole hospital/accident situation is out of the way, and Gabriella is home, I can actually start writing now!

Those first few chapters were so boring to write, but now I'm so excited to get started on the next few!

Thanks for sticking with the story. **Tell me what you thought about the whole meeting Caleb scene.** I wasn't going to do it like that originally, but it came to me as soon as I typed the fist paragraph of the chapter.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

**Wounded Sparrow**

* * *

Preview of Next Chapter:

"_I just…I didn't want to miss another one of Caleb's Christmases." Troy said._

…

_Gabriella couldn't explain why, but she didn't mind hugging Troy. The way his arms wrapped around her was strangely comforting. _

…

"_So, flirting huh? Was it easy to flirt, or did you have to force it?" Taylor asked._


	5. A Day Apart, Ends Up Together

**I can not explain in words how upset I was when I realized that I had **_**deleted**_** this chapter yesterday. I'd had it done for several days and I accidentally deleted it. It sucks, because I was in love with the original. It was my favorite chapter that I had written so far, but I tried to make this version as close as possible.**

**Still makes me sick to my stomach, though. **

**Enjoy, and thank you for all the reviews.**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **A Day Apart, Ends Up Together

**Rating:** T (a few swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

Troy woke up to the sound of wailing at 6:25 in the morning. Groaning, he rolled over in his bed, trying to ignore it, but knowing that his son needed him.

The young man quickly pulled on a shirt and walked out into the hall, where he saw Caleb with his hands on the door to the master bedroom, crying pretty hard.

"Hey, buddy. What's wrong?" Troy asked in a concerned tone as he picked his son up off the floor. Caleb glanced at him for a couple seconds and the tears stopped.

"Nightmare." He mumbled, and buried his face in his father's shirt. Troy was stroking the little boy's head and whispering that it was going to be alright when the door to the bedroom opened, and a tiny brunette poked her head out.

"Is everything okay?" she asked timidly, and Troy took a moment to stare at her. She was wearing a pair of short, pink shorts and the same shirt that she had worn the day before.

Gabriella felt slightly insecure as Troy gazed at her, but then was confused as she saw a flicker of recognition cross his face.

"Oh, cra-" Troy stopped in mid-sentence, noticing how his son's eyes were now studying him curiously.

"Crab." Troy said dejectedly, not knowing any other word that started with C-R-A. Gabriella giggled at her husband's attempt to cover up the use of a bad word.

Troy set Caleb down on the ground and he ran over to his mom, hugging her around the legs. Gabriella picked up her toddler and kissed him on the nose.

"What were you going to say?" she asked kindly, directing her attention towards her husband.

"Oh. Gabriella, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot that you can't change your shirt yet. I feel terrible!" Troy quickly said. Gabriella raised her eyebrows at his attentiveness.

_I can't believe he noticed_ she thought.

Gabriella shrugged. "It was no big deal."

"Why didn't you come and get me? I would've helped you." Troy explained, still feeling terrible for not noticing the night before.

"I debated it, actually. But when I went into the hallway, your lights were off. I figured that you were asleep and didn't want to disturb you." Gabriella said quietly before noticing that Caleb's breathing had become even, and walked into the toddler's bedroom.

Troy followed.

"You could've woken me up. I wouldn't have minded." Troy said, watching as the young brunette placed the toddler in the center of his racecar bed and pulled the covers over him.

"Well," Gabriella started, shutting the door to her son's room behind her, "I do need some help changing today…do you mind?" Gabriella gauged his expression.

"Of course. It's the least I can do." Troy answered sincerely, opening the door for his wife as she entered the master bedroom.

"So…" Gabriella started as she began to search through the dresser that was next to the closet. Troy stood behind her.

"So…" he said, a small smile crossing his face. Gabriella noticed this and smiled back.

Gabriella was determined to talk today. She wanted to get to know Troy and try to learn to feel more comfortable around him, since she was staying at his house. It was her goal to come out of her shell and ask questions.

"You're a professional basketball player? Like the ones you see on the television and the ones that are discussed on ESPN?" she asked, throwing a pair of skinny jeans out of drawer number one and moving on to number two.

Troy grinned. "Exactly that kind."

Gabriella started on drawer number three. "Chad too?" she asked

"Yeah. Same team." He answered. "We both got drafted in the same year, too." Troy added, watching as Gabriella moved on to drawer number five.

"Wait, that's -" Troy started, but Gabriella had already opened the drawer to see Troy's boxers spread out within. Gasping, she quickly shut it.

She was _supposed_ to be making things more comfortable, not more awkward.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She apologized, and turned around to see Troy rubbing the back of his neck. Gabriella blushed furiously.

"Uh…It's okay." The young man answered, and Gabriella could see a faint blush on his cheeks as well.

After the minute of silence in which Gabriella continued to look for her shirt, Troy helped her put it on (keeping his eyes on her face the entire time, Gabriella noticed). Afterwards, he headed downstairs to make breakfast.

Gabriella stayed behind, flopping down on the bed and groaning at the fact that she could not do a single thing right around Troy.

A slight glimmer caught her eye, and Gabriella rolled over to see a picture of her and Troy at a graduation. Whether it was high school or college, she didn't know, but she looked so incredibly happy.

"Stupid brain." She muttered, falling back onto her bed.

* * *

"Troy, are you okay?" Gabriella asked.

She had come down the stairs minutes after her episode to find her husband with his head in his hands, sitting in the kitchen. Gabriella briefly saw the piece of paper underneath him before he stuffed it back into the envelope.

"It's nothing. Doesn't matter." Troy answered, knowing that she wouldn't care.

"No, seriously Troy. Tell me." Gabriella urged. "But if you don't want to, that's fine too. Whatever you choose." She added, seeing him glance at her.

"It's nothing, really. It's just, I got my basketball schedule." Troy stopped, noticing the confused look on Gabriella's face.

"It tells me the time, place, and team that we are playing this season." Troy said, smiling softly as he saw Gabriella nod her head immediately.

"I don't understand." She said. "Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Gabriella glanced at her husband, seeing his eyes freeze for a second. She figured that he was probably remembering something.

"Well, it's just…I have a game on Christmas." Troy sighed. Gabriella was shocked, and sat down next to the young man at the island.

"Are you kidding? Why would they make you play on Christmas? Isn't there some unwritten rule that everyone gets the day off?" Gabriella sucked in a small breath as Troy's blue eyes locked with hers. She was startled by the fact that there was so much sorrow.

"Well, if it gets good ratings, then they'll make us play." Troy said, getting up and walking over to the fridge. As he opened it, he glanced back at his wife.

"I just…I didn't want to miss another one of Caleb's Christmases." Troy said, pouring orange juice in his glass.

"Troy, don't worry. It's okay," Gabriella started, but was interrupted by the man standing across the kitchen.

"No! It's not okay! I'm tired of watching Caleb open his presents on a video camera. I want to celebrate with you two!" he exclaimed, setting the glass down.

"Wait," Gabriella said, realizing something. "This has happened before?"

"Yeah." Troy said, and then looked up at his wife. He traced her curls with his eyes, shaking his head. "The first year Caleb was born, this happened too. I missed my son's first Christmas." Troy whispered, staring into space for a moment before resuming his speech.

"I have only been home for _one_ of my son's Christmases. I just…I feel terrible. He was so excited last year when I was home for the holidays." Troy mumbled, looking at the counter to avoid his wife's gaze. "And, I know you can't understand, but…I'm tired of letting you down."

Gabriella was at a loss of words because for once, she didn't understand. She had no recollection of any past Christmases with Troy or Caleb. The only thing the young brunette thought she could do for the sorrowful man in front of her did not involve words.

So, without thinking, Gabriella crossed the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Troy's waist.

At first he was startled, but Troy's natural reaction led him to pull her closer. All the anger at himself and his job started to slowly fade away as he was left with his reason for living in his arms.

Gabriella couldn't explain why, but she didn't mind hugging Troy. The way his arms wrapped around her was strangely comforting.

_No. I can't be thinking this._

Gabriella pulled away quickly, leaving a surprised and slightly hurt Troy. Trying to get his mind off of the basketball schedule, she changed the subject.

"So, what are we doing today? I know our parents are coming over at noon." Gabriella said, remembering the previous night. She watched Troy get out the toaster and set it on the island counter.

"I think I am having lunch with our parents and you are going shopping with Taylor." He said, popping some waffles into the toaster. Gabriella eyed the food.

"Okay. Sounds good." She said, missing the smirk that Troy was wearing on his face.

After a few minutes, the waffles popped up and Troy put them on a plate before buttering them and adding a little syrup. He watched as his wife's eyes followed the plate.

It was something that Troy had remembered last night before he went to bed. When they went out for breakfast one day in high school, Gabriella told him that waffles had been her favorite food since she first tasted them at eight years old.

"Do you want them?" he asked, unable to contain the grin on his face.

Gabriella shook her head. "Nope, you can have them." She said, still eyeing the plate.

"I made them for you."

That statement caused Gabriella to look at Troy with such gratefulness in her eyes that he had to take a step back from the counter.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Gabriella said, squealing as Troy handed her a fork. God, he loved everything about her.

"You're welcome. Well, enjoy. I'm going back to bed since it's only seven-thirty." Troy said, still smiling as he walked toward the stairs.

"Wait! Do you mind if I explore around the house a little bit? I promise I won't break anything." Gabriella asked.

"Yeah. That's fine. If you have any questions feel free to ask me…when I'm awake." Troy added quickly.

"Oh. So what you said earlier about me being able to wake you up was a lie?" Gabriella raised her eyebrows, calling her husband out.

Troy stopped. "I…no…just not…touché." Troy said; his confused face turning into a smile as he heard Gabriella giggle.

"I'm going to bed now." Troy sighed, shaking his head with the smile still firmly in place.

"Night! Or day…Whatever." Gabriella called, turning around to her plate of waffles.

_Did I just flirt with Troy?_

* * *

"So, how was last night? Did you two make any progress?" Lucille Bolton asked her son as he stirred his coffee.

Troy's parents, as well as Carmen, had been eager to hear about their children's first night alone. Now, at two in the afternoon, the four adults, plus Caleb, were having lunch at a small local restaurant.

Carmen, who had been entertaining Caleb on her lap, stopped playing and directed her attention to Troy as well. She knew that her daughter was confused, but she also knew that Troy was hurting. Sure, he didn't show it, but Troy was having a hard time coping, and Carmen's heart went out to him.

"I don't know. I showed her around the house. That's all." Troy murmured, still looking at the table. "I guess we subtly flirted this morning, but, it's still awkward."

Lucille sighed at the sight of her son. He was pretending like he didn't care, but she knew he did.

Mrs. Bolton glanced at her husband, raising her eyebrows to ask him for help.

"Uh…where did you guys sleep?" Jack shrugged as his wife hit him on the shoulder.

"I slept in the guest bedroom. Gabriella was in our room." Troy said dully, looking at Caleb's drawing, but turned his attention to Carmen as he heard her gasp.

"Gabriella asked you to sleep in a different room?" Carmen asked, shocked that her daughter would do such a thing.

"No! No. I offered because I thought it would make her more comfortable. Gabriella never tells strangers if she's uncomfortable with a situation." Troy said, and then returned to stirring his coffee. "It took over a year and a half for her to finally open up to _me_." he mumbled.

"Oh, honey…I'm so sorry. It will get better soon." Lucille encouraged, seeing the dejected look on her son's face. She was still curious about her son's relationship with Gabriella, but didn't push it because she knew that it was in the process of being rebuilt.

"I just… I feel like I'm back in high school. It's like I'm convincing her to trust me all over again. But this time, it's harder, because Caleb is involved, and…and now that I know what it's like to have her, I…I just want her back." Troy sighed.

Lucille and Carmen tried not to break down at the sadness in Troy's voice. It was a terrible tragedy, and honestly, Troy and Gabriella were the last people that deserved to have this happen to them.

"It'll get better Troy." Jack said, patting his son on the back. "Just be strong."

"I'm trying, Dad. I really am."

* * *

"So, flirting huh? Was it easy to flirt, or did you have to force it?" Taylor asked.

The two girls had been shopping the entire day, each picking out their own array of clothing and accessories. Now the friends were browsing through a local baby store, apparently one that Gabriella had visited often when she was pregnant with Caleb.

"Well, it was only a few sentences. No big deal really." Gabriella answered, ignoring the second half of Taylor's question.

"Awww…It's so cute, Tay!" Gabriella cooed, studying a small pink crib in the corner of the store. Taylor smiled, knowing that Troy had had his eye on the exact same thing before he found out the baby was a boy.

"I missed so much of Caleb's life." the young brunette sighed.

"I remember some of it." Taylor said nonchalantly, browsing through the stuffed animals. "Like the day Troy found out about Caleb. It was so cute!"

"_Chad…CHAD!" Taylor yelled across the gym to her husband, trying to get his attention. _

_The Redhawks basketball team was preparing for their first game of the season (not to mention the first professional game ever for Troy and Chad) and the coach was not letting any mistake slide. After an hour and a half without a break, the players were finally given a fifteen minute water break._

_Troy looked up and saw Taylor waving her arms, pointing to the guy behind him. The young man got up off the floor and walked one of the sideline chairs, slapping his friend as he sat down._

"_Chad, I think your wife wants you." He muttered, learning down to get his towel._

_Chad looked over at Taylor who was frantically waving to him. The man raised his eyebrows, and nodded, motioning with one finger that he would be over in a minute. _

_Chad turned to Troy, but not before he saw Taylor, obviously exasperated, throw her arms in the air. _

"_Dude, I have to go talk to Tay, but, where's Gabi? Didn't she saw she was going to be here?"_

_Troy looked at his friend. "Yeah, but after feeling sick this morning she decided to go to the doctor instead." _

"_Oh. Just wondering, man. Be right back." _

_Chad jogged over to where his wife was sitting, and immediately wrapped her in a large, sweaty hug. _

"_Ew! Chad, I love you but not when you're sweaty." Taylor complained while her husband laughed and sat down next to her on the bleachers._

"_So, why'd you call me over? Just wanted to say hi?" Chad's eyes gazed at his wife, trying to decipher her motive._

"_Well, yeah." Taylor blushed. "But more importantly, Troy is about to get some life changing news, and I don't want you ruining it by asking him a bunch of questions." She sighed._

"_What? I would never do that!"_

"_Just watch," Taylor pointed across the gym to where Troy was still sitting. The blue-eyed man reached down to pick up his cell phone. "And listen." _

"_How?" Chad asked, suddenly confused. _

_Taylor pulled an open cell phone out of her purse. Chad gasped as he heard Troy's voice on the other end._

"_Three-way Taylor? Isn't that an invasion of privacy?" _

"_Well," she sighed, "Gabriella already told me, and you have no idea what is going on, so I figured that it would be acceptable." The young woman said, smiling. _

_As the couple put both of their ears near the phone, they could hear the conversation clearly._

"_So everything's okay?" Troy asked in a concerned tone._

"_Well, actually, the doctor found something, Troy." Gabriella said softly and Taylor could tell that she was trying to hide the excitement in her voice._

"_Oh, crap. If you need me to come home Gabriella, please tell me. I'll be there in a second. We can get through this Gabi. I promise." Troy said frantically, and Chad and Taylor quietly chuckled as they saw their friend start to pace in the middle of the basketball court._

"_Well, the doctor said…" Gabriella started, and Taylor and Chad smiled as Troy stopped still, waiting for the "bad" news._

"_Gabi! What did he say?" Troy asked in a scared tone. Chad could tell that he was thinking the worst._

"_He said that I'm…pregnant." Gabriella finished. Taylor could almost hear the smile in her friend's voice. _

"_Seriously?" Chad mouthed to Taylor. She nodded her head quickly with a big smile._

"_What?" they heard Troy answer after a moment of silence. The couple on the other side of the gym could see the young man looking at his phone in confusion._

"_I'm pregnant, Troy. We're having a baby!" Gabriella exclaimed. _

"_Really?" The smile on Troy's face could not have gotten any bigger as he finally understood the news._

"_Yeah. You're going to be a daddy…" Gabriella said softly. _

_Taylor took the time between the slight pause in their friends' conversations to point out that Gabriella was walking towards Troy. His back was to her so he had no idea. _

"_Oh my God." Troy whispered._

"_Turn around." Gabriella said softly, and Chad and Taylor, as well as the rest of the team, watched as Troy whipped around and saw his wife. He immediately dropped the cell phone and ran over to her, picking her up and twirling her around before setting her down and touching his forehead to hers. Taylor smiled as the couple talked quietly, both with big smiles on their faces. She watched Troy place his hand gently on Gabriella's stomach._

"_Aw. This makes me want to have a baby." Chad sighed, looking at Taylor. "Do you think I would be a good Dad?"_

_Taylor smiled and leaned in to kiss her husband's cheek. _

"_I think you would be a great dad."_

"Wow. I told him over the phone?" Gabriella asked her friend, secretly heart warmed by the story that she had just heard.

"Yeah, but you were there in person, so that made up for it." Taylor smiled as the girls walked out of the shop.

"And you listened in?" Gabriella asked in an appalled tone. Taylor glanced over to see her friend was joking.

"Well, yeah. Besides, you had called me earlier and told me the news. It was too cute not to listen in on." Taylor said, unlocking the doors to her car.

From what Taylor and everybody else was talking about, Troy and her were the perfect couple.

"So, have you ever thought about it?" Gabriella asked gently. "Kids, I mean."

"Yeah." Taylor sighed, "But both Chad and I agreed that we would wait until his career died down a little." The young woman glanced at the brunette next to her, and decided to have some fun.

"You and Troy though. Man. You guys got married and six months later…" Taylor stopped, laughing at the blush that was creeping up onto Gabriella's cheeks.

"For what it's worth, Caleb is adorable." Taylor complimented, causing Gabriella to softly smile back.

"Come on. Let's go home."

* * *

"Do you want some more water?" Gabriella asked at dinner later that night, noticing her husband's empty glass.

"Oh, no. That's fine. I'll get it." Troy mumbled, getting up. But before he could take a step, Gabriella was right in front of him.

"No, I'm serious Troy." She said, taking the glass from him and suppressing a giggle at the sight of his childlike face. "I asked you and I want to get it."

Troy sat back down and watched as his wife filled his glass of water and returned it to him with a smile.

Caleb was sitting in between the "couple" on his own little chair. The toddler was banging his spoon on the side of his dinner bowl.

"Caleb, stop that and eat your food." Troy reprimanded, trying not to smile as his son put on an innocent look and stuffed another spoonful of spaghetti into his mouth.

"Well, it's seven, so…time for bed?" Gabriella asked the last part, looking at Troy.

"What? Oh! Yeah that's fine. Seven-thirty is his normal bedtime anyway." The blue-eyed man explained, and stood up to lift Caleb out of his chair.

Both parents made sure that the young boy had washed his face and brushed his teeth before, after much protesting, he fell asleep in his racecar bed.

Now, after the kitchen had been cleaned, Troy and Gabriella were talking in the living room.

Troy had chosen to sit down on the couch because he hoped that Gabriella would sit down next to him. However, when she shuffled over to the chair across the living room, Troy couldn't deny his disappointment. It would take time, but she would come around eventually.

"So." she started. "Taylor told me about the day you found out about Caleb, today."

Troy's face lit up. "Oh yeah! I remember that so well. Definitely one of the top ten days of my life."

"Top ten days? What are the other ones?" Gabriella questioned, truly interested.

"Um…it's nothing important." Troy answered, beginning to knead his hands. He looked up as Gabriella let out a sigh.

"Of course it's important, Troy. I'm trying to get to know you better." She said timidly.

"Well…all of my top ten days have happened since…since I met you." Troy said gently, and Gabriella felt terrible as her husband looked at the ground again. "The day I met you, the day Caleb was born, the day I got drafted into the NBA, and the day I proposed to you. Those are just a few." He mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed. She didn't love him anymore, which made saying that extremely awkward.

However, Gabriella got off her chair and walked over to the couch, sitting down next to Troy and laying her head on his shoulder. She could feel his eyes on her, and looked up to meet them.

"If I could remember, my top tens days would probably all involve you." She smiled softly, loving the way that Troy smiled back at her.

"You know, there was this one time in high school…" Troy started, and the couple ended up talking for a few hours with each telling stories.

Gabriella soon felt her eyes grow heavy. The last thing she felt was a pair of strong arms placing her on a pillow and the feeling of a loving kiss pressed to her forehead.

* * *

I have to say…that is almost the exact same as the original. I added the toaster thing to it, though. That wasn't in there before, but, besides that, it's virtually the same!

Still…it sucks that I had to rewrite it.

**So, my goal for this chapter was to show you how Troy is putting on a front – you think he is doing fine, but really…he's not.**

Also, I wanted to introduce Gabriella's conflicting emotions towards Troy**. In the next few chapters, you will find out why she "c_an't be thinking"_ about Troy that way.**

Hoped you liked it! Especially that "Troyella" moment in the flashback.

**Please R&R! I would love to hear what you think!  
**

Wounded Sparrow

* * *

Preview of Next Chapter:

_He knew he shouldn't, but his heart kept telling him that it was okay_.

"_Gabi, don't fight it. Just follow your heart, even if you don't understand."_

"_Troy…"_


	6. It's Not Fair

**Thanks for all your reviews! They were so sweet and it made my day!**

_**So sorry**_** about how long it took to get this up! I wanted this chapter to be perfect!**

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **It's Not Fair

**Rating:** T (a few swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

After Troy had taken Gabriella up to her bed, he had hoped to settle down for a nice, long slumber. 

It was inevitable, however, that the young man would not get what he desired.

Troy woke up in the middle of the night to the ringing of his cell phone. His eyes slowly etched open, moving to the dresser.

"What the hell?" he asked through gritted teeth. Who was calling him at…_2:29 in the morning?_

"Hello?" Troy mumbled, picking up the cell phone, too tired to check the caller ID.

"Hey Dad. I wanted to ask you if- wait. Troy?" the voice asked. Troy groaned in frustration.

"Chad, what the hell? Why did you call me at this hour? In fact, why are you calling your dad at this hour?" Troy mumbled, slightly incomprehensible because his face was smashed in a pillow.

"Oh, shit! Dude, so sorry! You and my dad are right next to each other on my speed dial, and I must have touched the wrong number." Chad apologized.

Troy groaned again. "Whatever, Chad. Can I go back to sleep now?" he asked his friend.

"Yeah man, sorry. Have fun snuggling with _Gabriella_." Chad joked before suddenly growing serious. "Sorry, Troy. I know it's hard. How've you been holding up?"

"Okay, dude. Look, I don't mean to be rude, but can I please not talk about this now?" Troy pleaded. "I just want to go to sleep. Unlike you, I have a toddler to take care of, and he tends to get up very early in the morning."

"Oh, right. Sorry. I'll call you tomorrow. Maybe we can play a pick-up game at the gym?" Chad asked, obviously not understanding how bad Troy wanted to hang up the phone.

"OKAY!" Troy shouted, a little too loudly. "We'll talk tomorrow. _Good-bye_!" he stressed, ending the call and tossing the phone back onto the dresser.

"Why did he have to put me on speed dial?" Troy moaned, rolling back over.

He had closed his eyes for five minutes when he realized that every little creak and soft noise in his house was keeping him awake.

"The hell with this!" Troy sat up, unable to fall back asleep. He got out of the bed and trudged out into the hallway, stopping in the middle of it.

_So…what now?_ Troy thought.

The young man looked across to the master bedroom. It was only his second night in the guest room, but Troy had to admit that he missed his bed. Well, more than that, he missed having _her_ next to him. Gabriella was never going to find that out, though.

Glancing across the hall again, he knew he shouldn't, but his heart kept telling him that it was okay.

Troy walked over to the door, opening it quietly and peeking in to check on his wife. She was sleeping soundly, her curls spread across the pillow.

God, she was so cute. It took all of Troy's self control to stay where he was and not climb in next to her.

The figure of Troy's admiration slightly moved, and the young man noticed the goose bumps forming on her arms. She was cold.

Without hesitating, Troy quietly strode back to his room and removed the comforter from the guest bed. He carried it across the hallway and into the master bedroom, where he gently set it on top of the beautiful brunette. Admiring her for one moment longer, Troy walked back to his room, and worked on falling asleep under the single sheet that now covered him.

* * *

Gabriella woke up, quickly glancing at the clock when she noticed how dark it was outside. 

_3:02 a.m._

"No…" Gabriella groaned, turning back over onto her side and snuggling into the warmth of the covers.

That's when she noticed.

"What the?" Gabriella fingered the new comforter. She recognized it from the guest bedroom.

_Troy…_

"Oh, crap. He must be freezing without this!" The brunette mumbled to herself as she gathered the blanket in her arms and quietly opened the bedroom door before scurrying across the hallway.

Gabriella couldn't help but notice the heat rise in her cheeks as she stared at Troy's bare chest – fully exposed as the single sheet covering him was now around his ankles. Quickly tearing her eyes away, she moved from the doorway to gently set the blanket on top of her husband. Taking a step back, she couldn't help but admire how nice his body had looked.

_No! No! Gabriella…stop thinking that!_ Gabriella yelled in her head, and quickly turned around and walked out of the room, trying to get the clear picture of Troy's perfect abs out of her mind.

* * *

_3:47_

Oh yes. Tonight was going to be one of those nights. The kind where you wake up every hour until your alarm goes off, therefore making the next day hell.

Troy groaned in frustration, punching his pillow with one of his hands. This was not fair. He had been exhausted from not only watching Caleb the previous day, but also answering a million questions about his relationship with Gabriella – questions that he didn't want to answer.

It just made it hurt even more.

Sitting up, Troy sighed deeply. Maybe that's why he couldn't sleep. It was _her_. He couldn't get Gabriella out of his head.

That's it… Troy was going through Gabriella withdrawal. After sleeping next to her for over three years, it was bound to happen.

Troy let out a yawn, slapping his hands down on the comforter.

"Why tonight of all nights?" Troy whispered to himself. "Did I do something to ma-" Troy stopped in mid-sentence.

_The comforter._

Troy's eyes grew wide as he looked down at the blanket his hands had slapped moments ago. He could've sworn that he had taken that to Gabriella's room.

_Was it a dream? _He thought to himself. Oh crap, his memory was going _too_.

Troy quickly stumbled out of bed, now glancing at the blanket with a wary expression. Grabbing it roughly, he stepped out into the hallway and opened the master bedroom door.

Yes, Gabriella was in there, sleeping. And…the goosebumps were still on her arms.

He couldn't help but smile slightly. It was something that happened every time he saw her.

The young man placed the blanket on top of his wife for the second time (Troy was trying to convince himself), and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead before crawling back into the bed across the hall and praying for some kind of rest.

* * *

Gabriella woke up to the sound of rain hitting the windows of the house. The brunette tied her robe around herself as she walked across the room, pulling back the curtains to reveal a dark sky and tiny rain drops pouring from it. 

A bright light flashed and loud thunder followed it, startling the young woman for a moment. Turning around, she climbed back into bed, only to sit up moments later.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" she asked, appalled by the site of the comforter, now draped across the bed…again.

Glancing at the clock, she found that it was _4:13_. This could not keep going on. She refused to keep getting up and taking a blanket across the hallway only to have it appear back on her bed an hour later.

She was mad. All Gabriella wanted was some sleep. It had already been a restless night, and the whole comforter thing wasn't helping. Sure, it was nice of Troy to put an extra comforter on her bed, but…she already had one. I mean, who cares if it was a little chilly? It hardly seemed fair that she should get two blankets and Troy shouldn't get any.

Grabbing both comforters, Gabriella quickly made her way to the guest bedroom, opening the door quietly…before shutting it behind her.

Troy was asleep again, and the sheet was now on the floor. It was freezing in the room, and Troy was shaking slightly. After placing both comforters on the bed, Gabriella bit her lip as she crawled in next to Troy. She hoped that he wouldn't get the wrong idea by her doing this. But, then again…

Maybe the wrong idea wasn't as wrong as she thought.

* * *

The alarm came to life at seven a.m. that morning. Troy, who was still tired from Chad's ill-timing the previous night, groaned and hit the button, trying to make it stop. 

The piercing noise kept sounding, waking up Gabriella as well. She stretched, reaching over Troy to try and turn the alarm off herself. What she forgot about was that Troy did not know she was in the same bed as him, so when he felt her body against his chest, the young man's eyes flew open.

"Gabi?" Troy asked in surprise as the alarm was shut off. "Did you sleep here the entire night?"

"Well…" she blushed slightly, sitting up in the bed and brushing curls out of her face. "After the second time you put the comforter on my bed, I decided that it would be best if we shared." She mumbled, playing with her hands.

Troy's self control was now reaching a breaking point. Here was his wife, whom he hadn't been able to show affection to for the past few days, and her curls were flowing temptingly down her back. There was a small red tint on her cheeks, and her eyes showed insecurity. She was in those small shorts again, but this time paired with a red spaghetti strap tank top.

Troy turned his head away from his wife and took a deep breath.

"It's fine." He answered, facing her once again. "Sorry about the air conditioning…I have no idea what was wrong. I'll have to take a look at it later today."

Troy now sat back up in the bed, and Gabriella realized just how awkward this situation was becoming.

"Um…thank you, though." The brunette forced her eyes away from Troy's bare chest. "For looking out for me, I mean. I'm sorry if you didn't get that much sleep…" she stopped after Troy smiled at her.

Leaning forward, he gave her a hug. Gabriella was startled as his arms wound tightly around her waist, pulling her closer to him, but at the same time, she was touched.

This was the first time Troy had initiated any sort of affection towards her. Turning her head slightly, she buried it in Troy's chest. It was like a natural reaction.

"DADDY!" the two adults heard a small yelp and a cry. Gabriella and Troy immediately ended the hug and scrambled out of bed to their son's room.

"Hey buddy, what's wrong?" Troy asked, picking up Caleb out of his bed. The little boy showed a toothy grin and started to giggle as he saw his mommy walking in the door.

"I no sleep" he laughed, reaching his arms out to Gabriella. Troy handed the little boy to her, and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Mommy," Caleb started quietly. Gabriella looked at Troy for a moment and then returned her attention to the little one. "Are you mad at me?" the boy finished timidly.

Gabriella gasped, partially frightening the child. Troy saw tears begin to form in her eyes and strode over to her, gently placing his hand on her arm.

Gabriella was shocked by what her toddler had said. She was trying to act like the same person she had been, but evidently her little boy had noticed. Troy's touch comforted her some, but she still couldn't help but feel like a terrible person.

"No…no baby. Mommy's not mad at you! Has mommy been acting different?" Gabriella asked her toddler, who looked up at her with the same big brown eyes.

"She is not here as much…or pwaying with me." Tears were now streaming down the young brunette's face. Troy gently wiped some of them away with the pad of his thumb. Gabriella was startled by how natural the gesture was, but then returned to the situation at present.

"Oh, honey." She pulled her toddler closer to her. "I love you so much. I promise I'll try to be around more. Mommy was in the hospital for a while and she had to figure out some things yesterday, but she's going to be with you all day today! Does that sound good?" balancing the child on her hip, she smiled as the tiny grin appeared on Caleb's face.

"Yay!" the toddler kissed his mom on the cheek, and then wriggled in her arms, trying to get down.

After setting him on the floor, the little boy took off into his closet, choosing his own outfit for the day – something Troy had been very proud of after teaching him how to do it.

Gabriella turned around to where Troy was standing behind her and gave him another hug. She felt so bad right now for ignoring her son, and she needed someone to comfort her.

Troy sensed this, and hugged her back.

"It's okay, Gabriella." He soothed.

So far, their relationship was getting better everyday. Less awkward. After the second hug this morning, Troy's hopes were rising, and there was little he could do to stop them. Troy so desperately wanted his wife back. He wanted to be able to kiss her and touch her and love her without having to completely think about every possible reason why not to do it.

Yes. Troy's hopes were definitely rising. Hopefully they would not be crushed.

* * *

Gabriella let out a sigh as she sat at the kitchen counter in some…house. It was another place she didn't know, more people she couldn't remember, and another awkward situation to add to her growing list. 

Caleb sat in her lap, playing with a small toy car on the counter. Carmen sat opposite of her, sipping a cup of tea.

Sure, Gabriella wanted to give Troy some time alone in the house to sort things out, but, why did she have to go to someone else's place? That belonged to an old friend of her mother's?

"So, sweetheart. How have your first two days been with Troy?" Carmen asked, breaking the ice. She knew her daughter had a lot of things running through her head, and as a mother, Carmen was desperate to help answer some of her daughter's questions.

"Fine." Gabriella answered. There wasn't much else to say. Sure, maybe it had been awkward, and she had been trying to push down unnatural feelings that seemed to come out when Troy was around, but her mother didn't need to know that. Gabriella was a grown woman. She had her own child. She could take care of herself.

Now, if only she could convince herself not to find the fact that Troy was taking care of her so enticing.

"Honey, are you being nice to him? I know that you don't know him that well, but he loves you very much, and I don't think you should be trying to avoid him…" Carmen trailed off, seeing the confused look on her daughter's face.

"Avoiding him? Mom, we live in the same house. It's kind of hard to avoid him. I mean, we slept in the same bed last night for crying out loud!" Gabriella exclaimed, somewhat fed up with all of the accusations.

When the young brunette didn't hear anything, she lifted her head from the counter, careful not to block the path of Caleb's car, and looked at her mother.

Gabriella rarely saw her mother excited. Carmen just wasn't that kind of person to let it out – unless it was something she was really enthusiastic about. The elder Montez looked as if she might burst from happiness.

"You slept together?" she asked her daughter excitedly.

"WHAT!?!" Gabriella accidentally shouted, causing Caleb to stop playing with his toy. "No….no no no no NO!" she couldn't believe that he mother was thinking about whether or not her and Troy were… oh God.

Carmen wore a confused expression on her face. "But you said that -"

Gabriella cut her off. "In the same bed, Mom. Not together. But, seriously. Why are you even thinking about that? I'm a grown woman. Shouldn't that be personal?"

"Oh, well, I'm sorry dear. I didn't mean to pry. Yes. That is personal and I'm sorry for asking. But, you slept in the same bed. That's a start!" Carmen exclaimed, completely forgetting about the misinterpreted information.

"Yeah, but it was only because of a blanket issue… don't ask." Gabriella added when her mother scrunched up her face. "I'm just, kind of nervous now. What am I going to do tonight?"

It was true. Gabriella had been thinking about that on the car ride over to her mother's friend's house. Now that she had slept in the same bed as Troy, would he expect her to let him 'move' back into the master bedroom? Gabriella knew she wasn't ready for that, but what if it hurt his feelings? That was the last thing she wanted to do. He was such a nice guy, and really didn't deserve to be hurt.

"I think Troy will understand, honey." Carmen sensed that he daughter wasn't that comfortable yet with the whole sleeping issue. "But anyway, I'm curious. Do you find Troy…attractive at all?"

Now here was the question Gabriella wasn't really excited to answer.

"Well…yeah." She mumbled. Gabriella didn't want anyone knowing that. Sure, Troy was hot. She knew it the moment she saw him in the hospital. His piercing blue eyes, amazing body, and great hair were almost too much to take in at once.

Carmen's face broke out into a grin.

"Oh! That's great! See! You are going to fall in love with him again in no time!" the mother exclaimed.

"No. I am not going to fall in love with him!" Gabriella half yelled. She then looked at her son in her lap, who was completely oblivious to the conversation she was having with her mother. Gently, the brunette placed a kiss to his forehead.

"Why not? Honey, you're married to the man. What's wrong with loving him? Gabi, I'm worried about you. Why are you so reluctant to get to know Troy?"

"Uh!" Gabriella sighed, trying to find the words to describe it. "Maybe, it's because I don't remember anything! Maybe it's because he seems to think I'm his world, and I can't relate to that. Maybe it's because we _are_ married, and I still don't remember anything that happened past sixteen years old! We've done stuff, mom. You know, _stuff._ We were obviously in love with each other, and I can't feel any of it! I can't remember!"

Gabriella took a breath, glancing at her mother, who now looked worried.

"Mom, I can't fall in love with him. Troy is in love with the old Gabriella. The one who knows all about every little thing we had done as a couple. It's not fair for me to expect him to fall in love again. It's not fair for him to have to learn to love the new me."

"Gabriella, sweetie. Troy already does love you. More than you can imagine." Carmen interrupted.

"See! That's just it! I'm not the same person, though. And when I don't get my memory back in the next few years and he moves on, hoping to start fresh, I'm going to be the one who is crushed. I will have fallen in love with him, only to have him throw it right back in my face! Loving him will only hurt the both of us." Gabriella said quietly.

Carmen shook her head at the sight of her daughter. Both her and Troy did not deserve the accident and all that came with it.

"Honey, Troy's not going to leave you. He loves you too much. Don't fight it. Just follow your heart, even if you don't understand. But, I need to know if…if you do love him." Carmen asked timidly. From the way that Gabriella was speaking, it sounded as if she was falling in love.

"No, mom. I care about Troy, but I can't love him. I mean," Gabriella added when she saw her mother's eyebrows rise. "I don't love him. Not yet. It's too soon. We've only know each other for three days…well, at least for me" Gabriella smiled.

"Okay, well, we'll leave it at that. Let's get off the discussion topic. It's just good to know what you are thinking."

Carmen reached across the counter to take her daughter's hand in hers. "So, how's your memory? Anything you remember yet?"

"No. I did have this dream last night, though. I don't think it has anything to do with my past…" Gabriella sighed.

"Enlighten me." Carmen smiled, motioning for her daughter to tell her the story.

"Well," Gabriella started, staring at the canary yellow walls of the kitchen. She figured that the dream was nothing, and hated to get her mother's hopes up. "I couldn't see any people. It was only a place. There was one of those white wicker archways with bright yellow flowers covering it. I remember seeing a bunch of light blue seats too, in front of like…like…a stage or something. It was outside, and sunny. I don't know, but I remember feeling really happy. There was like a buffet table, too. Lots of food on it." Gabriella shrugged, seeing the blank expression on her mother's face.

"What kind of flowers were they?" Carmen asked in a monotone voice.

"Um…tulips. Yes. Tulips. Very pretty. Bright yellow, too." Gabriella answered, wondering why the flower type really mattered.

"Oh dear, look. I've run out of tea." Carmen excused herself, hiding the fact that her cup was full, and hurried off into the foyer, leaving a confused daughter in the kitchen.

The elder woman's hands were shaking as she pulled out her cell phone, hurrying to dial the numbers that she knew so well.

"Hello?" There was an answer after the first ring.

"Troy… she remembers."

* * *

Sorry it took so long to get out to you guys. And sorry it's a little shorter than normal. I feel like the last part was kind of rushed, but I have school tomorrow and I need sleep! Lol. 

Thank you for your patience with me! I know I don't update often, and I'm trying to work on that.

**Just to clarify:** Gabriella does not want to fall in love with Troy because she believes that it will only end up hurting him (and her) in the end when she never remembers her life past sixteen.

I don't know if it got across that well. Sorry about that.

Anyway, hope you liked the chapter! **Please review and tell me what you think!**

Wounded Sparrow


	7. Getting a Little Bit Closer

I won't bore you with a long author's note, but I do feel terrible about the wait for this chapter. It is inexcusable. However, I have planned out the rest of the story and that should enable me to update more frequently. **Please don't send virtual hate mail! Lol.**

Thanks to **Andizzle **for her review! I had the first part of this chapter written but her review got my butt in gear to finish it!

**Note – **_**Coming Back To You **_**has been taken off of fanfiction, but I have posted the story on my ****homepage****, which you can access through my fanfic profile. I will still be updating it (there are three or so chapters left), so on the website it will **_**eventually**_** tell you how to sign up for alerts. :)**

Also, in other cool news, my homepage has cool new **High School Musical related and Twilight related icons** for you to use if you are interested! Check it out and see if you like any!

_**Enjoy! It's one of the longest!**_

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **Getting a Little Bit Closer

**Rating:** T (a few swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this. Don't own the Sheryl Crow song either!

* * *

"Caleb, honey, please stop playing with your seat belt. Just sit still, okay? We'll be there in a couple of minutes." Gabriella lightly scolded her child. The young brunette was slighty on edge today – just a little nervous. Caleb looked back at his mom with an innocent expression, and then made a display of folding his hands delicately in his lap.

Gabriella couldn't hide her smile. Her son was adorable. She stole another glance to see his big brown eyes staring out the window in the backseat. God, he was a spitting image of his father.

Coming to a stop light, Gabriella began to think about how far she'd come from the day of the accident, more than two months ago. As much as she couldn't believe it, Gabriella was getting used to her life – the "mom" part of it anyway. She had grown extremely attached to Caleb; more than she ever thought possible.

The mother and son had fallen into a routine, which helped Gabriella cope with her "new" life. She loved routines because they made her feel secure, and, although she couldn't be completely positive, Gabriella believed that Troy understood her need of structure.

In the mornings, Caleb would crawl out of his bed and run into his mom's room, waking her up by cuddling close against her. Gabriella would lay with him for a few minutes, rubbing his sandy brown hair affectionately, and kissing his forehead. Even though she had forgotten about her child, she loved him more than anything right now.

After Caleb would get restless, Gabriella would pick him up and carry him downstairs to the kitchen – after she let him wake up his dad, of course. Although she didn't come into his room, she would always hear Troy greet his son and ask him a couple of questions about what he was going to do that day. Gabriella couldn't help but smile as she heard them interact.

In the kitchen, Gabriella made him breakfast (most days being cheerios), and sat with him while he watched his favorite TV show – The Wiggles. While Gabriella cleaned up the kitchen, Troy would emerge from his bedroom to give Caleb a bath. Then, after the two-year-old was squeaky clean, Troy would throw him over his shoulder and run him downstairs to the couch, carefully tickling him as he set him down.

Gabriella smiled at the thought as the light turned green. She gently pressed down on the accelerator once looking both ways – something she had promised she would do after a desperate Troy pleaded with her - and the car moved forward. Caleb would always screech and laugh loudly when Troy would tickle him, making his father wear a huge grin.

As it was October, Troy would then head off to preseason basketball practice at the Verizon Wireless Stadium, where the Redhawks played. He would give Caleb a big bear hug and a kiss on the forehead before turning to Gabriella. This was always an awkward moment for the "couple". Gabriella hated to see the slight flash of pain in his eyes, and the forced smile as he said,

"_Bye Gabriella. I hope you have a nice day."_

It was such a formal goodbye, and honestly, the young brunette had no idea what to think of it.

Although her relationship with Caleb had pretty much returned to normal, her feelings for Troy hadn't. Gabriella thought he was the sweetest man she had ever met, and incredibly good looking too, but she wasn't in love with him.

However, she had to fess up and admit that she liked him – really, really liked him. So much that she sometimes began to wonder what it would be like if they got back together.

The one thing that returned her to Earth when her head started to float away was the awkwardness between them. It was so…uncomfortable.

Carmen had returned to Arizona after three weeks of staying in Albuquerque, and Gabriella immediately felt more vulnerable than ever before. Troy had sensed this and became quieter, not forcing conversation with her as frequently – which didn't go unnoticed by Gabriella.

Pulling to the parking lot at Albuquerque General Hospital, Gabriella let out a sigh, knowing that in a short month, her entire routine would be broken. She tried not to think about it as she mentally prepared herself for her fifth – and hopefully final – check-up.

Grabbing her son's hand, she locked the car and made her way into the hospital, sitting down in the play section of Dr. Weber's waiting room so Caleb could explore the different toys. There was more than one reason Gabriella was nervous today. Yes, she wanted to hear that she was all healed and get an update on her memory progression, but she was also planning on asking if she could go back to work.

Gabriella hadn't discussed the matter with Troy, but she felt like she needed to start pulling some weight around the house. Sure, Troy made _more_ than enough money to keep them financially stable, but because Gabriella didn't view herself as "married" to Troy, she wanted to get a job to earn her own spending money. It just didn't feel right using Troy's.

"Ms. Montez?" Gabriella looked up to see Dr. Weber smiling at her from across the room. Taking Caleb's hand once again, she followed him back to an examination room after taking a few x-rays.

Throughout the entire time span of the accident, Troy had been very supportive, always telling her that everything was fine.

But Gabriella wasn't stupid.

There was one thing she could tell bothered him more than anything, and that was when someone would refer to her as 'Ms. Montez'.

Gabriella remembered coming to her first check-up appointment, in which Troy had accompanied her. Dr. Weber had called her by the same name, and she couldn't help but notice the flash of pain in his eyes, before he looked away from her gaze and led her from the waiting room. It hurt Gabriella to see him like that, knowing that she was the cause of it.

"Alright, Gabriella. I hope that this will be the last time I see you for a long time." Dr. Weber started as he got the young brunette situated into her exam room. Caleb sat in a chair and politely stared at the two adults, swinging his legs beneath him, which could not yet touch the floor.

"So, I have your x-rays in, and…" the doctor paused, putting on a bright smile, "…everything looks great! Your ribs are completely healed and your wrist is as good as new. I am very impressed with your rate of healing."

Gabriella grinned at the news. "So, no more two-week check-ups?"

"Nope. However, and I know you probably already have guessed this, but your brain scan continues to show no change, and I don't see any improvement." Quickly, Dr. Weber glanced at Caleb to see that he was pre-occupied. The toddler still did not know that his mother had significant memory damage. "Still, though, I want to keep tabs on your brain, so I would like to see you again in three months. Sound good?" Dr. Weber asked.

Gabriella wasn't surprised by the news, but pushed her sorrow to the back of her mind as she addressed the doctor.

"That sounds great, Dr. Weber, but I do have a question for you." Gabriella looked down at her hands. She was mentally cursing her personality traits. Why did she have to be so shy?

"Okay." Dr. Weber took a seat in the round chair by his computer. "What's up?"

"Well," Gabriella began nervously, subtly glancing at Caleb, who was entertaining himself with a picture book, "It's been about two-and-a-half months since the accident, and I was wondering it I would be able to go back to work? I really don't want to lose my position." Gabriella paused seeing the surprised look on the doctor's face. "It sounds like a good one." She added, smiling slightly.

Dr. Weber grinned back at her. "Of course, Gabriella. I will fill out a work permit form for you company, and you can go back as early as tomorrow."

Gabriella sighed in relief. That was the easy part, now she just had to tell Troy…

"Thank you Dr. Weber. And thanks for all of your help through this." She responded, forever grateful that he saved her life two months ago.

"You are very welcome. I'm glad that you are getting adjusted to your lifestyle very quickly. If you ever need me, don't hesitate to call the office." Dr. Weber held open the door to the exam room for the mother and son.

"Oh," he added, stopping Gabriella. "and if you ever remember anything – anything at all- call my cell phone. I don't care what time of day it is – I want to know. You still have my number, right?"

"Of course," Gabriella smiled at the older man. "I will definitely let you know."

Leaving the hospital, Gabriella was slightly optimistic. If she could just convince Troy that working would be good for her, then she was all set to return. The truth was, Gabriella needed to get away for a while. She needed to be somewhere where she wasn't _expected_ to have a relationship with someone. Of course, she would never tell Troy she felt that way.

Buckling Caleb back into his car seat, Gabriella made her way back to the driver's side. Briefly, she imagined the solemn expression on Troy's face that she would see tonight when she told him the news about her memory. She shouldn't care, but it killed her to see him like that.

Turning on the radio, Gabriella began to reverse the car.

"Alright, Caleb. Let's go home and get some lunch."

* * *

"That's good for today, guys! Hit the showers and I'll see you here tomorrow – same time, same place." Coach Cohen yelled from the baseline of the Albuquerque Redhawks basketball court. "Oh, and afterwards we'll be having some fun in the weight room!" the older man added with a smile.

Chad let out a loud groan, while Troy tried not to laugh too noticeably at his friend.

"WHAT WAS THAT DANFORTH?" Coach Cohen confronted the frightened basketball player. "You want to go to weight room today, too?"

"No sir. I wasn't groaning about that…I… uh…" Chad stammered, obviously trying to come up with some excuse.

"See you twenty minutes early tomorrow, Danforth. You just made yourself a date with fifty suicides." Coach Cohen called as he walked back into his office.

Chad stood there, stunned.

"Well…shit!" he complained as the two friends walked into the team locker room. "What the hell was his problem? Didn't get enough action in bed last night or something?" Chad chuckled in a quieter voice. He knew that suicides were nothing compared to what Coach Cohen would have for him if that comment was overheard.

A couple of the other basketball players laughed at Chad's comment, and one added in a muted voice,

"Yeah. Must not be gettin' any."

Chad continued to laugh, only to see his best friend look away from the group of guys.

"Oh, Troy, man. I'm so sorry. That was really thoughtless of me to make that comment." Chad apologized, patting his best friend on the shoulder. Troy turned around to look at his team, who was now silent.

"It doesn't matter, Chad. I don't care what you guys talk about, really. Don't change because of me, okay? It's my situation and I'll deal with it. I don't need you guys adding to the stress by constantly watching what you say around me."

Troy opened his locker as the room was still silent. Every member of the team had heard about what happened to Gabriella, and they all were witnessing just how hard it was on Troy each day he came to practice. Truth be told, he wasn't the same person anymore. He still gave his all, but wouldn't joke around as much with the guys or hang out after practices.

The locker room returned to normal after a chorus of apologies. Troy sat down on the bench and began to take off his court shoes.

He had never really thought about it before, but now that it was mentioned, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the previous topic of discussion. He hadn't slept with Gabriella, obviously, for over two and a half months. Yes, they had slept in the same bed _once._ That hardly counted for anything, seeing as the next night Troy had fixed the air conditioner and Gabriella went back to sleeping in the master bedroom.

"Ugh!" Troy groaned, putting his shoes back in his locker and putting his face in his hands.

Chad sat down next to his friend and slapped him on the knee. "If you ever want to talk about it, just let me know. It can't be easy, man. Even after two months."

Troy had gone five weeks without discussing what had happened, and it was killing him. He and Gabriella had fallen into a routine, which he knew she appreciated, but it wasn't exactly the routine Troy wanted. He would love to go back to the way things used to be – waking up in the morning to find her cuddled up against him, giving her a long goodbye kiss when he went to practice, taking her out for romantic dinners, and buying her gifts that would make her eyes light up. Instead, Troy was woken up by Caleb – which, even though it wasn't Gabriella, his son was still one of the two most important things in his world – and every morning would walk out the door without a goodbye kiss.

Life sucked – but it was more than that, because it _hurt_. The best time of day was the five seconds he had just after waking up – the moments when he didn't think about his life as it was now. The moments when he just…lived.

"You know that she remembered something?" Troy asked quietly, glancing up at his friend.

"What?" Chad face betrayed the shock of Troy's words. "Seriously? What did she remember?"

Troy's hopes had risen through the roof after he got the phone call from Carmen, only to crash down when the harsh reality of what Gabriella remembered sunk in.

_It's a start_ he reminded himself for the thousandth time.

"She remembered your wedding day. You and Taylor had it in your parent's backyard and she remembered the yellow tulips and everything." Troy mumbled.

"Wow! Our wedding day? That's really strange. You would think that she would remember yours." Chad commented in surprise.

"Yeah, I know. That's what I don't get. I just…I guess I wish she would have remembered _ours_." Troy admitted.

"That's too bad, man. I feel for you. Has she remembered anything else since then?" Chad asked as he packed his duffel back with dirty clothes.

"No." Troy sighed, doing the same. "She hasn't, and we haven't made any progress either. I don't want to force her, you know? She has always been so shy and it took me two years in high school to finally get past the wall she puts up. It really feels like we're starting over."

"Well," Chad slammed his locker shut, picking up his duffel bag and throwing it over his shoulder. The basketball player turned to his best friend and let out a sigh. "maybe some time away will do both you and Gabriella some good. We leave for our away game stretch next month."

"Yeah, maybe." Troy sighed, shutting his locker.

* * *

"Oh, no! You've got some syrup on your cheek, sweetheart." Gabriella sighed with a smile.

Caleb looked up at his mother with the same big brown eyes, grinning wickedly. He then stuck his tongue out of his mouth and tried to reach the syrup on his cheek, only to fail after multiple attempts.

Gabriella couldn't help but laugh, which made Caleb grin once again. He was the cutest thing, and she was so honored to be a part of his life.

Turning around, the young brunette reached for the paper towels sitting on the counter, only to discover that the roll was empty.

"One second, sweetie. Mommy's got to go down in the basement to get a new roll of paper towels." Gabriella cupped one of Caleb's chubby cheeks in her hand and leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead before pulling back. "No funny business, okay?"

"Kay Mommy!" Caleb agreed and continued to eat his pancakes.

"Here…" Gabriella wiped the syrup off her son's cheek after she returned with the paper towels. "Guess what Mommy found out?" she asked. "The basement is extremely dirty, hazardous even. I think we should clean it today, don't you? You still have a lot of toys down there that you rarely use."

"But Mommy, they're like…days old!" Caleb groaned, complaining in his high-pitched voice. Gabriella's heart melted. Even though this child was introduced to her two months ago, she was so in love with him that she wondered how she had ever rejected motherhood as a teenager. She would be forever grateful to Troy for giving her the opportunity to raise a child.

"Well, I'm sure Daddy spent a lot of money on them, and he wouldn't be very happy if he heard that." Gabriella explained as she lifted her toddler onto her hip after washing his dishes. Making her way into the basement, Gabriella surrendered to the urge to ruffle Caleb's hair – the sandy brown hair that was just like his father's.

Referring to herself as "Mommy" and to Troy as "Daddy" was getting easier for Gabriella every day. Even though they weren't together as a couple, she couldn't deny the fact that Troy was the boy's father, and that she was the mother. Gabriella knew she needed to keep the charade up for Caleb. She wanted to make sure he still realized that both his mom and dad loved him – even if they didn't feel the same way about each other.

Setting the young child down, Gabriella hid a grin as she watched him run over to his play corner and begin to assemble a toy train that had fallen off its tracks. She turned around and began her cleaning spree.

No more than fifteen minutes later did she hear the opening and closing of a door on the upper floor.

"Gabriella? Caleb?" she heard Troy's voice call out, and for a moment, her heart slightly ached. It seemed to be doing that a lot lately when her husband was around – as if it was telling her to go to him.

"In the basement, Troy!" Gabriella responded, continuing to vacuum the carpet as she had been doing before.

"Hey, Mommy?" she heard a tiny voice ask.

Gabriella shut off the vacuum and wiped her forehead before turning around to see her son holding his hands behind his back.

"Caleb, honey? What is it? What have you got there?" Gabriella questioned, suddenly wary.

Caleb's serious face stretched into a huge grin as he screeched, "Look what I found Mommy! Isn't it cute?"

The toddler pulled out his hands from behind his back, and Gabriella blinked.

Was that…_a RAT?_

Gabriella's ear piercing scream could be heard from all levels of the house. Troy, who glancing over the mail in the kitchen, immediately dropped his duffel bag on the floor and ran down the stairs of the basement, where he saw Gabriella backing away from their son.

"Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms.

Without hesitating, Troy pulled her closer to him, tightening his hold on her. He looked down as she buried her head in his chest.

"What's wrong, hone- Gabriella? Are you okay?" Troy was suddenly worried. Sure, his wife was in his arms – for only the second time in two months – clinging to him, but she seemed terrified.

"Oh…I'm sorry, Troy. I didn't mean to overreact. It's just…Caleb found a rat in the basement." She said in a small voice, and Troy's heart melted. She had always been scared of rats – and snakes, geckos, spiders. As much as he feigned annoyance, he loved protecting her from that.

Looking over at his son, Troy noticed the tearful eyes and the bottom lip begin to stick out. _Oh, no_ he thought.

Much to Troy's displeasure, Gabriella had unlocked her arms from him and now had tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, honey! I'm so sorry. You didn't do anything wrong – I didn't mean to scare you." Gabriella was down on her knees with her arms open as Caleb put the rat in a plastic bin that Troy was holding and raced towards her.

He clung tightly to his mother as the tears started pouring down his cheeks.

"I didn't mean to, Mommy. I'm sorry." He whimpered, still holding on to his mom.

"I know, honey. I shouldn't have overreacted, baby." She said softly, stroking his head. Troy knelt down next to his family and started to run his son's back.

"Hey, buddy. I see you were playing with some of the toys I got you. What do you say we set up the train track town?" Troy asked, trying to distract his son. Gabriella smiled at her husband, and he gave her a sympathetic grin back.

"Okay…" Caleb said in a little voice. He then threw his arms around his father's neck as the man lifted him up.

"Good. Now let's get this rat out of here first, and then we can come back down and play with the train." Troy said, taking the plastic container in his other hand as he walked up the stairs, only to stop suddenly on the fourth step. "Gabriella, were you…_cleaning?_" Troy asked in an astonished voice, his face a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

"Um…" the young brunette mumbled. "Yes? Am I not supposed to?" she asked gently, staring into Troy's intense blue eyes.

"You don't have to do that. We have a maid service that comes every two weeks. You're still recovering…I wouldn't want you to – wait, you had your doctor's appointment today. How did that go?" Troy's interested eyes were completely focused on her, and he turned his body to start coming back down the stairs.

Gabriella was surprised at how fast he switched subjects. "Why don't you take the rat outside and then we can talk about it while you build a train with Caleb?" she suggested, a slight smile on her lips.

* * *

"So, everything is healed. No more doctor's visits or two-week checkups or any of that?" Troy asked as he handed Caleb another piece of the train track.

Gabriella was sitting next to the train set as she watched the interaction between the father and son. Caleb had insisted that she stay, and the young brunette couldn't have been more delighted.

"Yep. No more two-week checkups." She answered.

Troy was quiet for a moment.

"And…what did he say about…your memory?" Troy asked slowly, mentally bracing himself for the response he knew was coming.

"No change." Gabriella answered softly, briefly glancing at Troy. The sadness and pain in his eyes was overwhelming. So much that she had to look away.

"He does want to see me every three months, though. Just to continue to monitor my…uh…progress." Gabriella winced at the word. What if she never made any progress? What if her life was stuck like this forever?

"Okay." Troy let out a big sigh. There was nothing else to say to that.

Caleb inserted that last of the track pieces, and clapped his hands in delight. Gabriella watched as Troy smiled fondly at his son, and then reached over and started to tickle him. Caleb shrieked as he wriggled under the touch.

"Mommy! Mommy! Help me!" he screamed, still laughing.

"What's Mommy going to do about it?" Troy asked, playfully eyeing Gabriella.

Troy's sexy smirk made her heart stop for a minute. She studied the way that his lashes cast a shadow on his face and how his eyes were glistening as he stared at her, all the while continuing to tickle their son.

"Mommy's going to save you." Gabriella answered her son. Acting on impulse, Gabriella reached forward and started to squeeze Troy's sides in an attempt to tickle him.

It happened so fast that she had no idea how it occurred, but one minute she was tickling Troy, trying to help out her son, and the next she was laying on the floor with Troy hovering on top of her.

"Not ticklish." He teased, whispering in her ear, and immediately started attacking her with his fingers.

Gabriella was easily the most ticklish person Troy had ever met. Over the years, he had discovered the very spots where she squirmed the most, and used that information to his advantage.

Gabriella couldn't breathe as Troy's hands moved about her. He knew all of her weaknesses, which didn't frighten Gabriella as it would have a month ago. Even though she didn't think he knew, Troy was well informed about everything to do with her.

She continued to laugh out loud as she cried out for mercy. "Okay, Troy! Okay! Please…" Gabriella laughed, "Please stop!"

"Fine. But only because you said the magic word." Troy answered, abruptly stopping the tickling.

The young man lifted up his wife from the floor and gently rubbed her back – a natural impulse, but something he knew was probably too forward.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." He said, giving Gabriella a sympathetic smile.

"Whatever." She scoffed playfully, giving Troy a smile.

"Alright, why don't we go back upstairs and leave all of this for another day?" Troy suggested to both Gabriella and Caleb.

The toddler ran over to his father and clutched his leg. "Will you carry me up the stairs, Daddy?" he asked with excited eyes.

Troy grinned, laughing softly as his eyes met Gabriella's. "Sure thing, buddy. Come here."

Gabriella smiled at the two, suddenly remembering the song she had been listening to in the car earlier that morning. It was by Sheryl Crow – one of her favorite artists.

_Everyday is a winding road…I get a little bit closer._

And, for a moment, Gabriella couldn't help but think that everyday she spent with Troy and Caleb, she was getting a little bit closer to feeling fine…

* * *

Once again – SO sorry for the…like…five month wait for this chapter. (Geesh is sounds really bad when you say it like that.) Next update will be within the next week and a half!! The first part of the next chapter is already written! :D

Hope you liked the chapter! **Please review and tell me what you think!**

**BTW – 4 more days until **_**Breaking Dawn**_** comes out! I'm so excited I could have a seizure! Any of you read the Twilight series? If you don't, you're seriously missing out!**

Wounded Sparrow

* * *

Next Chapter Preview:

Gabriella confronts Troy about going back to work. What is he going to say?


	8. Hot and Cold

**This one's out a little faster than the five month gap between the last two! Lol. I know I said I would update in a week and a half, but school's starting, I had homework to finish, Breaking Dawn came out…the list is endless. No more excuses though. I'm changing for the better – hopefully. Lol. **

Thanks to _**xxxMrsMichaelPhelpsxxx**_ for motivating me to finish the chapter. I hope it doesn't disappoint! BTW – sorry for any mistakes!

_And just in case you guys forgot, Steven is Gabriella's boss at work. I only briefly mentioned him a few chapters back, so just to avoid any confusion…_

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **Hot and Cold

**Rating:** T (a few swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

Troy silently groaned as he realized the time on his alarm clock when he woke up two and a half hours early the next morning. Basketball practice didn't start until eleven and he could have definitely used the extra sleep, considering how restless he was last night.

Troy kept replaying the incident that happened the night before, going over every word and gesture between him and Gabriella. It was not a conversation he had ever anticipated having, nor was it something he wanted to talk about with her of all people. But it had happened, and now Troy couldn't help but be embarrassed.

He hadn't felt this way since right after he kissed Gabriella at her house when they were both sixteen. He had been terrified that she would reject him – so nervous that she was going to laugh in his face and tell all her friends that he was in love with her when she didn't love him back.

It had worked out then, but this time, Troy felt the embarrassment. How could he have been looking at that when she walked into the room?

_Sitting on his bed, Troy let his finger trace the picture as he took a shaky breath. Flipping the page over, the young man couldn't hold in the small tear that ran down his face. He hadn't looked at these photos for a long time – afraid that they would bring up emotions too powerful for him to handle. _

_She was so beautiful, with curls cascading down her back and a stunning form-fitting white gown that enthralled and tempted him. He remembered the tears that pooled in her eyes as the minister pronounced them husband and wife; how their kiss was so simple and passionate – one that spoke volumes of their love for each other. He remembered that they were _so_ happy. _

_Their wedding day – documented by their wedding album. It hurt to look at it, but Troy needed reassurance. He needed the strength to keep getting up every morning and continue trying to make things work with his wife. That strength would have to come from the knowledge of what they used to have. _

_A soft knock caught Troy off guard, and before he could close the album, the door opened to reveal a petite Gabriella, dressed and ready for bed in her pajamas. Her hair was in traditional curls, tied back into a messy ponytail. _

_Troy fought the memories of his hands running through those curls, pulling her face close to his and feeling her arms wrap around his neck as he connected their lips – just like so many times before. God, he wanted it so bad. It wasn't just showing her how much he needed her – it was how much he needed to be shown that love and devotion that had been taken away two months ago. _

"_Troy?" she asked, cautiously peeking around the door before stepping into the room. Her forehead creased slightly as she studied him. "Are you okay? What were you looking at?" she asked tentatively. _

_Troy shuffled, quickly wiping away the lone tear and stuffing the album further underneath his bed covers before standing up._

"_Nothing. Don't worry about it." He said in a soft voice, looking his wife in the eye. "What's up?" _

_Gabriella crossed her arms tight across her chest and momentarily rocked onto her tiptoes. _

"_Oh. Um…I just wanted to let you know that Caleb's in bed. He went down pretty fast. It must have been all of the train building." She smiled slightly. _

"_That's good. But I'm sure you didn't come in here to tell me just that…" Troy raised his eyebrows slightly at the petite brunette, who gently bit her full bottom lip. _

"_Well, you're right. There is something I wanted to talk about with you." Gabriella started. _

_Troy waited for her to continue. After a few moments of silence, he was starting to get worried. _

"_Do you want to sit down and talk about it?" he asked, searching her eyes for any sign of pain or suffering. _

"_Yes. That would be nice." She answered in a soft voice. It was her insecure voice – Troy could pinpoint it easily in a room full of people. She always used that voice when she was lacking confidence, and Troy hated to see her use it around him._

_Troy walked over to sit next to Gabriella on the bed, making sure there was enough space between them so that she was comfortable. _

"_What's wrong, Gabriella. You're starting to scare me. Did you remember something, or are you hurt? Did something happen with Caleb? Are you -"_

"_Troy," Gabriella let out a soft giggle, "I'm fine. Caleb's fine. Everything is fine." She gently reached out and rubbed the back of Troy's hand before pulling her own back. "I just wanted to talk to you about the possibility of me…"_

_Troy watched as Gabriella grew silent and her mouth dropped open. He grew confused as she took in a quick breath before reaching behind him and pulling out the wedding album he had been looking at moments before._

Damn_ he thought, _it was supposed to be well hidden.

_He watched carefully as she traced the words on the front "_Our Wedding Day"_ with her fingers, before opening up the album to reveal the numerous pictures that filled the inside. Gabriella looked at each page, touching the photos - just as Troy had been doing. _

"_Oh my God, Troy." She murmured, tears now pouring down her face. She slightly shook her head back and forth. _

"_Hey…hey. Come on, honey. Don't cry." Troy couldn't help his slip of the word "honey", and he really didn't care as he tried to wipe away all of his wife's tears. Her fingers abruptly stopped tracing over a picture of them cutting their wedding cake and she buried herself into Troy's chest for the second time that day – sobs rocking her body. _

"_Oh, Troy." She cried, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "I'm such a monster."_

"_What? Gabriella what are you talking about?" Troy asked, shocked that she would say such a thing. "You are not a monster; you're far from a monster." _

_Gabriella pulled her head back from Troy, looking him in the eye while her tears continued to flow. She put her hand on his cheek, tilting her head to the side._

"_Look at what I'm putting you through." She began to shake her head again, "Troy – I…I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I wish I could remember – I want to… _so _bad!" _

"_Gabriella – I…no. Please don't feel bad about this. It's been two months, I'm…not going to lie," Troy sighed as he looked into Gabriella's beautiful brown eyes, "it's been tough. But it's just something that happened. It's not your fault. It's really not. Please don't feel bad. Please…"_

"_But, Troy! I'm hurting you! You're such a nice guy and I don't want to be the cause of your pain, especially with basketball season coming up." Gabriella re-wrapped her arms around Troy, and he returned the gesture, resting his chin on her head._

"_I don't know what to say to that, Gabriella. It's my problem, and I don't want you to feel bad about it. How about we work on our friendship, okay? Will that make you feel better?" Troy asked, gently patting her back as Gabriella's tears started to lessen._

"_I'd like that, Troy. I really would." Gabriella pulled out of Troy's embrace and smiled slightly. "Is that okay with you?"_

"_Of course it is. I would love for us to be friends." Troy reassured the young brunette. _

Oh yes, Troy was embarrassed. His wife pitied him. She had seen him crying over her. He loved her with all of his heart, and she didn't feel the same way.

Troy sighed, getting out of bed to get ready for the day. Gabriella had been sweet about it, but he couldn't help but be self-conscious.

Looking into the mirror, Troy's gaze swept over himself when a thought occurred to him. He had always been muscular, but maybe that wasn't enough for Gabriella anymore.

What if she wasn't attracted to him, _physically_?

* * *

Gabriella eyed the phone carefully as she sat at the kitchen counter. She had been up for several hours, unable to sleep. The conversation with Troy last night was still stuck in her mind.

It somewhat amused her how easily distracted she had gotten by the wedding photo album. They both looked so happy in all of the pictures. She looked in love, there was no doubting that.

But the conversation that followed after having found the album was not one Gabriella had wanted to have with Troy when she first walked into his room the previous night. She was supposed to ask him his opinion on her going back to work again, but that never happened.

Gabriella had to admit, though, that Troy's arms were extremely appealing. She felt so entirely safe in them – even when she thought _she_ was the one comforting _him_.

"Gabriella?" a soft voice caught the brunette's attention. Gabriella turned around to see Troy standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her with cautious eyes. He was dressed in his gym shorts and a practice t-shirt, holding his duffel bag at his side.

"Hey, Troy. Sleep well?" she asked, not knowing anything else to say.

_Shit! _Gabriella swore in her mind. _Not only have I not told Troy about work, but I made things even more awkward between us! Great way to start the day!_

"Um, yeah." Troy lied, keeping his head down while he walked over to the fridge to pour himself a glass of orange juice.

As he reached in the fridge, his hand caught the corner of one of the shelves, creating a tiny slice.

"Damn it!" Troy exclaimed, pulling his hand back to inspect the damage. Not too bad – basketball would be fine for today.

"Are you okay?" Troy turned around to see Gabriella staring at the cut before she glanced at his face.

"Yeah – it's just a small cut. I didn't realize that those corners were so sharp…" Troy trailed off, looking back into the fridge.

Gabriella briskly walked past him to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a band-aid and Neosporin.

"Hold out your hand." She ordered, grabbing it gently when Troy placed it in her upturned palm.

The young man studied his wife intently as she treated the wound. He watched as she gently pressed down on the band-aid to make sure it stuck, before she hesitantly – very hesitantly, Troy noticed – leaned down to give it a quick kiss.

Troy was shocked, to say the least. As he felt her lips on his palm, he had to suppress the urge to pick her up and crash his lips to hers. His hand twitched in anticipation as it reached for her waist, gently grazing it before pulling back.

Gabriella didn't know what came over her, but decided to gently kiss Troy's wound after she covered it with the band-aid. Pulling back, she felt the slight touch of her husband's hand on her waist, and sucked in a quick breath at the contact.

_How was he doing that?_

Gabriella had never been this affected by a man in her life – at least, from what she remembered.

"I kiss Caleb's boo-boos, so I figured you deserved the same kind of treatment." Gabriella said in a soft voice as she raised her eyes to look at Troy. His eyes were attentively looking at her, and there was a small smile on his face.

"Thank you, Gabriella. I guess the men in this house have it made when it comes to injuries."

The ringing of the phone broke up the couple's conversation. Troy crossed the room to pick it up quickly before it woke Caleb.

"Hello?" Troy spoke into the receiver. Gabriella sat down at the kitchen island and mentally went over all of the things that she needed to discuss with Troy about the job.

"Yes…oh, really? Well…yeah, I understand, but what about…hmm…will someone be taking care of…no, she didn't tell me."

Gabriella's head popped up at Troy's words only to find that he was staring carefully at her. She could see confusion, hurt, and anger in his eyes.

Troy ended the conversation after a short amount of time and then glanced at the floor.

"So, when were you going to tell me that you were planning on going back to work…?" he asked quietly, his gaze still fixed on the tile.

_Shit_ Gabriella thought, _it was Steven._

"Oh, Troy. You weren't supposed to find out this way…" Gabriella started. This was much worse than telling him herself. It made talking to him look like a trip to an amusement park.

"I wasn't supposed to find out this way? What the hell does that mean? Was I supposed to find out at all? Or were you planning on letting me figure it out on my own?" Troy snapped. Gabriella saw the anger and annoyance blazing in his eyes.

"I was going to tell you last night in your room…" The young brunette mumbled quietly.

Troy ignored her.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about this. It's _huge!_ This means we have to contact my parents about watching Caleb during the day. It means that I have one more thing to worry about at practice. Why are you going back to work anyway? Gabriella, I know we don't live in a mansion, but we can easily afford one. I make more than enough each year to provide for the three of us, my parents, and your mom, with tons left over!" Troy said in an exasperated tone.

"I need to go back to work, Troy. I need to help out around this house. I don't want to spend all of your money…" Gabriella answered quietly, avoiding Troy's gaze.

"Gabriella, you aren't even making a dent in _our_ bank account. When we got married, what was mine became yours, so you don't have to feel bad about spending the money _I_ earn. It's yours, too."

"No it's not." Gabriella's voice raised and she stood from her seat at the island while looking at Troy. "That was when we were _married_, Troy. Legally, we may still be, but unfortunately, both you and I know that emotionally we are not."

The hurt in Troy's eyes made Gabriella immediately regret what she had said. That was crossing the line. Sure, they both knew it was true, but it was something that was never to be said aloud. He was in so much pain already and she just _had_ to make it worse. She really was a monster, regardless of what Troy thought.

The silence dragged on, seeming like hours to Gabriella. She wanted Troy to talk. She wanted him to yell. She wanted him to be angry. Anything…anything besides _hurt_.

"Okay." Troy said quietly. "Just let me know when you go back." He started for the stairs.

Gabriella's heart broke slightly at the sight of her _husband._ Troy was such a good guy - he didn't deserve her as a wife.

"I'm actually going in today for a training session, because I forgot pretty much everything that I'm supposed to do and all of my clients…" Gabriella silently joined Troy on the stairs. They both walked up in silence, and Gabriella retreated to her room to change for the day.

The young brunette, dressed in a white blouse and grey skirt, rushed down the stairs half an hour later, quickly running into the kitchen to give Caleb a goodbye kiss. Troy had made him breakfast, and the toddler was now playing with his light-up spoon.

With her heels clicking, Gabriella walked back towards the front door, intentionally ignoring Troy. She had grabbed the keys to her car from their place on the key rack and opened the door before she felt a hand grab her wrist.

Gabriella was spun around and heard the door shut behind her as she looked up at Troy. He had a panicked look in his eyes and Gabriella suddenly felt alarmed. _Was he going to yell at her now?_

She was surprised to feel his fingers intertwine with hers around the same time he brought his other hand up to her cheek, beginning to caress it gently. He never broke eye contact with her as a huge sigh escaped his lips.

"Be careful, okay?" He said quietly. She could hear his voice break on the last word.

Troy's forehead dropped to hers and he wrapped Gabriella in a crushing hug. The moment was so intimate that she wanted to cry. Cry for all of the things that had been said that morning, cry because of how Troy had been suffering for the past two months, cry because of how screwed up her life was…but most of all she wanted to cry because she knew that none of this would be bothering her if she didn't care.

* * *

"All right guys, we have less than a month before our first game of the season. I know that opening with an away game stretch isn't the most fun way to start this year, but we have to deal with it." Coach Cohen was sitting on a bench lecturing his basketball players. All of them were in the weight room, minus Chad, who was still running his fifty suicides.

"We've been practicing everyday now. We are good, but we need to be great. I'm going to leave you guys with that comment. You're in here until four, so make good use of the two hours in the weight room." Coach Cohen left the massive room and returned to his office, leaving his players to think about what he said.

"Dude, that was insane!" Chad huffed as he slowly staggered into the weight room. Troy smiled slightly at his friend before he started to add weights to the bar he was preparing to bench press.

"It _was_ your fault that you had to do them." Troy reminded Chad as the busy haired man sat down next to Troy's station.

"Well, I guess some good can come out of it – at least I'll look hot for Taylor." He said. "I know we decided to wait to have children until my career dies down a little bit, but I don't think I want to." Chad confessed seriously, looking at Troy's shocked expression.

"So your plan is to become more fit so that Taylor will want to…wow. Well, I wish you all the luck in the world. Taylor's going to be hard to convince. She seemed pretty set on not having kids right away." Troy laughed lightly. "You're going to be a great dad, though. When the time is right."

"Thanks, man." Chad said.

Troy let his thoughts take over his mind for a moment, traveling back to the previous night. His eyes wandered over to the weights he had just put on his bar.

"Maybe I should do the same. You know, bulk up for Gabi. I was thinking that maybe I'm not as attractive to her as I used to be." Troy mumbled before lifting up another twenty pounds to add to the bar.

"You're fit, Troy. All girls think that you're sexy, so why wouldn't Gabi?" Chad asked with a confused look on his face. The young man observed as his friend began to bench press.

After Troy's first set was done he sat up to take a small break.

"It can't hurt. Besides, it's a win-win situation. Gabi notices and _maybe _will become more physically attracted to me, and coach notices that I've been working hard and am committed to the team." Troy said nonchalantly.

Chad groaned. "Give me that twenty pound weight next to you." He said glumly.

Troy smiled and passed the weight to his friend.

"So, what is this really about, Troy? Did something happen with Gabriella between yesterday and today?" Chad asked quietly so that others couldn't hear their conversation.

"I guess we kind of got in a fight this morning. Her boss called the house to ask her about work. I had no idea she intended to go back so soon." Troy trailed off, remembering all that was exchanged that morning. "I kind of yelled at her. She didn't tell me…she doesn't tell me anything! It's so frustrating." Troy groaned, putting his head in his hands.

Chad put down his bar and sat up on the bench. "This isn't the same Gabriella, now. Well, she's still the same, but she's a scared fifteen year old version of her. It's only been two months, Troy. Give her time. She'll come around."

"She said that while we might be married by law, we weren't _emotionally_." Troy mumbled. The look on Chad's face just made him feel worse.

"Oh, Troy. I'm so sorry, man. Do you want to give her some time alone, to cool down? You can always stay at our house – Taylor and I wouldn't mind."

"No. I'll be fine. I don't want Caleb to see that." Troy sighed.

"I bet she feels bad about saying that…" Chad commented, knowing the old Gabriella would have been horrified at herself.

"Well, I think she knows that it hurt me, but I'm just…so confused. Minutes before she made that remark she helped bandage me up when I cut my hand and even kissed the band-aid! What the hell is going on with us?" Troy exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Maybe you should start from scratch today. I guess you could apologize when she gets back from work? You know, take the first step. That might get you on her good side."

"I think I'm going to do that. I'll try to convince her that I'm not a complete asshole." Troy answered, going back to the bench press.

* * *

"…and this is your office. Just the way you left it."

Gabriella smiled. Finally, after touring the entire building, she was able to see her office. It was simply…perfect. Her desk faced the glass wall that separated her from the hallway outside the door, and the window behind it had the wonderful view of a quaint courtyard. She loved it.

"I'll let you explore a little bit. You don't officially start until next week, so don't worry about any of the memos on your desk. Shirley, your assistant, is taking care of those." Steven said, quietly leaving the room after Gabriella thanked him.

She walked over to her desk and sat down in the comfy chair. She liked the feel of this office. She liked the entire building. It was definitely a good idea for her to go back to -

Gabriella's breath caught as she saw the photos lining her desk. There was a wedding picture of her and Troy, one of Caleb playing in the back yard, a picture of all three of them at what looked like a family cookout….

Numerous photos were scattered throughout her office, and Gabriella couldn't help but let a tear slip. She regretted what she had said that morning more than anything else in her life. How could she deny the attraction he once held for her? The pictures spoke volumes.

Tears continued to pour down her face as Gabriella saw the desktop on her computer. Someone had taken a picture of her and Troy while they were sleeping – with Caleb in between them. Troy had his arms protectively wrapped around the two of them, and Gabriella couldn't help but smile slightly at her small family.

"Excuse me, are you okay?" The office door opened to reveal a young man – most likely in his late twenties or early thirties – wearing a black business suit. He had a cell phone in one hand and a briefcase in the other. Smiling softly at the young brunette, he walked towards her desk.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but I wanted to make sure that you were okay." He said.

"Oh…" Gabriella quickly wiped away her tears and stood up from behind her desk, walking out in front of it to shake the man's hand. "I'm fine. Sorry about that. Gabriella, by the way."

The man shook her hand back, grinning slightly. "I know who you are. I hired you."

Gabriella blushed brightly.

"It's okay. I'm Michael. You could say that I'm your bosses' boss." Gabriella's face grew confused as he introduced himself.

Michael chuckled again and released Gabriella's hand. "I own the company." He stated simply. Gabriella felt the heat rise in her cheeks again as she realized she had made a fool out of herself in front of the company's owner.

"I'm sorry. I don't remember because-"

"Oh, I know. Don't worry about it, things happen. We're just glad that you are back and safe. We've all missed you around here." Michael smiled slightly before his cell phone beeped. "Well, nice seeing you again, Gabriella." He waved goodbye and shut her door.

The young brunette fell back into her office chair, glancing at the picture on her desktop once more.

Today was going to be a _very_ long day.

* * *

Opening the front door at five-thirty that night, Gabriella did not expect to see her husband helping her son put a jacket on before grabbing car keys. In fact, she did not expect to see Troy at all. Gabriella just assumed that he would avoid her at all costs after what she had said.

"Mommy!" Caleb cried loudly, rushing from Troy and into his mother's arms.

Gabriella held her toddler tightly and looked questioningly at Troy, deciding to break the silence.

"Are you guys going somewhere?" she asked quietly, looking at Troy for a response.

His blue eyes stared back into hers. "I'm taking Caleb to a movie. But, we haven't done anything as a family in a while, so…do you want to come with us?" he asked, his voice even quieter than hers.

Even though she was shocked by his response, Gabriella managed to find her voice. "I'd love to." She answered sincerely, setting Caleb back on his feet to put her own coat on.

She was stopped as two strong arms wrapped around her.

Troy pulled her close to his chest, and Gabriella instinctively crushed herself closer to him.

"I'm so glad you're home." He sighed, speaking into her hair.

Gabriella continued to return the hug tightly. It was the least she could do. Going back to work had definitely taken a toll on Troy.

"Me, too." She mumbled into his shirt.

"And… I'm sorry…"

* * *

Okay… It's the night before school starts so I wanted to get this up. I had originally planned to write out a scene with our favorite family at the movies, but I honestly don't have time and this chapter is already long.

But – I'm going to put the movie scene in as a flashback in the next chapter. Or maybe I'll add it as a bonus chapter. One of the two, so don't worry, you'll see what happens.

I feel like I rushed the chapter, but I tried to put in as much detail as possible? I hope it doesn't disappoint like my lack of updating does – Lol.

Thanks for reading. Please **review** and tell me what you think! **It encourages me to update faster! **But it would really help on this chapter because I don't know if I did that good of job.

Thanks!

Wounded Sparrow

* * *

**Next Chapter Preview:**

Flashback scene – what happens at the movies

It's getting closer to the time that Troy is leaving for his away game stretch. How is Gabriella going to take it?

Troy's parents come over for dinner with the "couple"

Why is Troy going to see a doctor?


	9. If Things Were Different

**Long author's note, so get ready! :)**

**So, I guess you guys are kind of used to this by now. I really have no excuse other than that junior year is a living hell. I have never had so much homework in my life, and my sport season just ended last week, so I really don't have time to update anymore. **

**With that being said, I have no idea when this story will be finished. It was supposed to be around 20 chapters, and I don't know when I'll have the time to write them :) lol.**

**So here's my plan, I'm updating today, so that's chapter nine. There is no way I am going to be able to update again until winter break, which is three weeks from now. I am really sorry about that.**

**I think I'm just going to have to write during breaks from school. Forgive me guys. I know I'm such a terrible person. I hate it when people abandon their fanfics and don't update them for months at a time. I'm so sorry…**

**But thanks to xxILoveEdwardCullenxx ****and ****lixxy227 ****for**** motivating me. **

_**On with the story. Hope you guys like it. I'm trying to make these waits a little more bearable by giving you a good chapter. Did I succeed? Let me know! **_

***Quick note: I thought that Gabriella's return to work needed a little bit of explanation. Gabriella suffered from a form of memory loss called retrograde amnesia, where events prior to the accident can not be remembered. Gabriella's case is extremely severe, as she has forgotten the last nine years of her life. Gabriella is able to return to her job because she has forgotten memories, and people. She is still able to retain what she has learned from college and high school, but she can not remember the specific people or memories from school. Does that make any sense? Hopefully I cleared that up.

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **If Things Were Different

**Rating:** T (a few swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"This is so exciting. I feel like we haven't had one of these in forever!" Taylor exclaimed, pouring a bag of microwave popcorn into a bowl.

After Troy and Gabriella had gotten back from the movies with Caleb, Chad decided to invite the couple over for a movie night – something the four of them had been having since high school. Because Caleb was already asleep in his bed, Troy had suggested that Taylor and Chad come over to their house.

"Yeah. And because it's Gabriella's fault that we haven't done it, I say that I get to pick the movie." Chad eyed the young brunette who was helping his wife with the popcorn. She wore a small grin. Comments like that no longer bothered her as much. It had been three months since the accident, and she learned to get over those little things.

"Fine with me." she remarked. Taylor picked up the bowl of popcorn that she had been making and walked over to the couch in the living room, cuddling up next to Chad.

Gabriella followed with her two bowls of popcorn, handing one to Troy where he sat in a recliner on one side of the couch, and keeping one for herself as she took a seat in a chair on the other side.

This was something Gabriella was _not_ comfortable with. Taylor and Chad shared one bowl of popcorn. Gabriella knew that she and Troy probably used to do that. And they probably sat next to each other too.

Her mind drifted back to the movie with Troy and Caleb that she had seen earlier that night. The whole situation hadn't been as bad as Gabriella had thought. The heaviness of their fight from the morning had almost completely vanished, and Troy seemed so comfortable and confident in his role of being a father that Gabriella was astounded. Troy would laugh with Caleb if he made a funny face at something a character said, or be a good sport and let the toddler throw popcorn at him. It was the most adorable thing Gabriella had ever seen.

"How about _The Grudge_?" Chad looked directly at Gabriella as he announced his movie choice, a wicked grin on his face.

Gabriella was confused as to why he was smiling at her. "What's it about?"

"Chad, _no_." Gabriella looked up to see Troy glaring at his best friend. He looked extremely tense.

"What do you mean, _no_? It's a great movie." Chad smiled once again as he popped the disc into the DVD player.

Troy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Seriously, Chad? Don't do this."

Gabriella was confused at Troy's reaction to Chad's movie pick. "Do you not like _The Grudge_, Troy? Chad, you shouldn't make him watch it if he doesn't want to." she said in a low voice, her face full of concern.

Troy looked over at his wife, wondering what he should say. "No, it's fine. The movie isn't what's bothering me. Don't worry about it."

Taylor glanced over meaningfully at Gabriella, silently letting her know that Troy was telling the truth. Chad hopped back to the sofa and put his arm around Taylor as the movie started.

Gabriella watched quietly, but couldn't ignore Troy's periodic glances at her. He still looked worried, and she couldn't imagine why.

About five minutes into the movie, Gabriella began to get an idea.

"Um…" she mumbled quietly. Troy's eyes immediately connected with hers. "Is this a scary movie?" she whispered.

"Yeah. Come on, Chad. Fun's over. Take it out and let's watch something else." He said, standing up to go look at the other movie choices.

Oh. _Oh_. Troy was worried because he knew Gabriella didn't like scary movies. She suddenly felt embarrassed for asking him if _he_ didn't like the movie. The young brunette let out a big sigh. Once again, her mind drifted back to that morning, and the fight that should have never happened. Fresh waves of guilt rolled through her.

Chad was standing up to take out the disc but Gabriella stopped him.

"No. It's okay. I can watch it. Don't take it out." She tried to sound sincere, ignoring Troy's confused face as he looked at her.

"Sure Gabs? We don't have to watch it. There are other movies." Chad asked, his hand frozen above the power button.

"Yeah, it's fine. I want to see it." She mumbled, grabbing a blanket off the back of the chair and wrapping it around herself. She may not like scary movies, but she was going to have to suck it up for her friends. She did not want to be the one to ruin their movie night.

Throughout the movie, Troy kept a close watch on his wife, especially during scary parts. He noticed how she gripped her blanket tighter and looked away if something jumped out. He knew she was terrified of horror films. He had always known – ever since one of their first dates.

Troy had invited her over to his house to watch _The Ring_. She hadn't seen it before, so he figured that he could watch it with her. Halfway through the movie, Gabriella was clutching Troy as if her life depended on it – her head buried in his chest, and her hands grabbing a fistful of his shirt. At that moment Troy understood his girlfriend did not like scary movies, and he made a point never to make her watch one again.

"Alright. I think it's time for a snack break!" Chad said loudly, interrupting Troy's train of thought. He looked over at Gabriella again, who had her head buried in the blanket. The young man stood up, letting out a sigh.

Troy was going to do something that he knew would completely overstep the invisible boundaries he now had with his wife. Sure, he shouldn't do it, but he couldn't help it. Regardless of the fact that she didn't remember, Troy was still in love with her, and he couldn't stand to see her this afraid.

Chad returned to the living room after a couple of minutes with a bottle of water for Taylor and a banana for himself. Troy took this opportunity to walk over to Gabriella, who was still buried in her blanket.

"Gabriella," he whispered softly in her ear so she wouldn't jump. The brunette shyly lifted her head to look at Troy. He smiled softly. "Come here." He whispered, ignoring the awed faces of Chad and Taylor.

Troy lifted Gabriella off the chair and sat down in it himself, bringing his wife into his lap. Carefully, he wrapped the blanket around her again.

"It's okay." He whispered, and prayed that she would not run out of the room at his forwardness.

However, just the opposite happened.

Gabriella smiled softly and wrapped her arms around Troy's torso. He began to rub her back and grinned as she whispered "Thank you."

Chad and Taylor looked at him with wide and excited eyes. Troy could tell that they had a lot of questions, but those would just have to be answered tomorrow. For now, he had his wife back in his arms, like the way it used to be. The young man tried to ignore the fact that this seemed to be happening quite often, but couldn't stop his heart from hoping.

_Maybe she's getting more comfortable with me _he thought.

Gabriella made it through the movie – a feat that would not have been possible if Troy had not held her. He warned her of scary parts and rubbed her back to distract her and calm her down.

If this movie proved anything, though, it was not that Gabriella could make it through a horror film.

It was that she was falling for Troy – hard and fast.

Gabriella couldn't help but sink into him the moment he sat her on his lap. He was so perfect – the ideal guy. This was the man she had dreamt of meeting ever since she was a little girl. He was kind, sympathetic, caring, and a great dad who genuinely cared about what was on her mind.

She had been distracted by her entire ordeal and its awkwardness to realize that she was madly in love with everything he stood for.

Being in Troy's arms made her feel safe and important and she loved the feeling of it. So why couldn't she just open up to Troy and tell him how she felt?

Because she was scared. Gabriella was terrified of the fact that she lost her memory. That, and she had never been assertive in her entire life. There was no way that she was just going to go up to Troy and tell him that she thought he was a great guy, or that she was starting to _really_ like him.

She wasn't his wife. She wasn't the same girl that he proposed to, or decided to have a child with. It wasn't fair for Troy to have to love this new girl – a girl he never asked to get. He just wanted his wife back, and this new Gabriella was _not_ his wife. How could she put herself out there and tell him that she liked him? She needed to let him go. He needed to have the freedom to go out and date other girls and not be tied down by a wife that he no longer had feelings for.

It was toward the end of the movie that this realization hit Gabriella, and she hid her face in Troy's chest when a tiny tear slid down her cheek.

He was comforting her because it was his _job_. He let her stay in his house because that's what husbands do. He worried about her because he had since they met.

But he didn't care for her in the same way she was starting to care about him. She was just an obligation.

Gabriella shook off these thoughts as she and Troy said their goodbyes to Taylor and Chad. Troy and her were still friends, and for now that was going to have to be good enough.

"We are _so_ going to talk soon." Taylor whispered into her ear as they hugged goodbye.

Gabriella nodded stiffly, trying to push down her thoughts.

"So…" Troy said as he shut the door behind their friends. "Are you going to be able to sleep tonight, or should I be worried?"

Gabriella couldn't help but smile at his remark. "I think I'll be okay. Thanks again for sitting with me. Hopefully I didn't take away from your enjoyment of the movie." She mumbled.

"Not at all." Troy said in a sincere tone. "I guess I'm going to head up to bed, then."

Gabriella watched as her husband started up the stairs, before turning around and looking at her curiously.

"By the way, my parents wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow night. Is that okay with you?" he asked, searching her face for any sign of objection.

"Fine with me. What do they like to eat?" Gabriella asked, joining Troy on the stairs.

"Don't worry about that. My parents will eat anything." He smiled.

"Okay." The young brunette smiled back before retreating to the master bedroom to get ready for bed. She once again acknowledged that something was rising within her – and it was going to take a lot to shove it down.

* * *

"And then he pushed a button, and the thing went in the air. It was _soooooo_ _cool_. He said I could pway with it some time! Can I? Can I can I can I can I can I?" Caleb bounced up and down in his car seat as Gabriella smiled back at him.

Troy and Caleb had gone out to lunch with her at Caleb's favorite place – McDonalds. It was something that she hadn't been expecting, but had enjoyed thoroughly. Caleb was adorable as he stuck french fries in his mouth to look like a walrus, and Troy had nearly spit out his drink when a young woman had asked him for his autograph.

Gabriella couldn't help the slight amount of jealousy rising in her as he signed a piece of paper for the woman. She must have been in her mid-twenties, around the same age as Gabriella. At that moment, the young brunette realized that Troy was probably asked this all the time, and that girls more than likely threw themselves at the chance to even touch her husband.

"Caleb, quiet down. We'll see, okay?" Troy said, maneuvering the car into a local car wash.

As the water began pounding down on the car, Caleb's piercing cry rang out, startling Gabriella. She turned around to see her toddler thrashing desperately against his car seat, with tears streaming down his face.

"Caleb, I…honey, it's okay." Gabriella didn't know what to say.

Troy calmly unbuckled his belt and leaned behind him to take Caleb out of his car seat. He brought the toddler to the driver's seat of the car and held on to him as the boy clutched desperately at his father, still sobbing. Troy whispered comforting words in his ear, but as the dryer started, his sobs grew louder.

Caleb suddenly was reaching for Gabriella, and Troy handed the child to her, only to have Caleb climb underneath her seat to where her feet were.

"Caleb? Honey come here…it's okay. It's just a car wash, nothing's going to hurt you." She murmured, cupping the boy's cheek. "Mommy and Daddy will protect you. Don't worry, sweetie."

Caleb's bottom lip was still shaking as the car was finished with the wash. Caleb climbed out from his hiding place and hugged his mom tightly, tear stains still present on his face.

"I normally don't like to get that done when he's in the car." Troy smiled apologetically at Gabriella, who was still startled by the entire outburst. "But my parents are coming over soon and we were already out, so…" he trailed off, lifting his hand to rub Caleb's hair affectionately.

"It's okay, buddy. That wasn't so bad, right?" Troy comforted Caleb at a stop light. The toddler shook his head and climbed into Troy's lap. Gabriella monitored the stop light as her husband hugged the boy tightly before strapping him back into his car seat.

Gabriella stared at her son, who was now preoccupied with his toy train, and was no longer upset.

"He's adorable." She murmured quiet enough for Caleb not to hear.

Troy looked over at her with a smile on his face. "I know. He's going to be really good looking when he grows up, don't you think?"

"Yeah. His eyes are going to make girls swoon." Gabriella joked, only complementing their son on the eye color he inherited from his mom.

Troy grinned. "Sure. Girls won't like his great hair, or awesome lips, or his height. They won't care about that."

"Nope." Gabriella said playfully, turning around to look at her son again. "Actually, I'm sure those are the first things girls will look at." She sighed, looking at her husband. "I guess he has his daddy to thank for that."

"He wouldn't look as good without the brown eyes, though." Troy commented, steering the car into their neighborhood.

"What? Troy you look great with blue eyes. I can't even imagine you with brown eyes…" Gabriella stated, suddenly realizing that she just changed the topic, when before they were talking about their son.

"When did this conversation come to be about me?" he asked, glancing quickly at his wife with a smile on his face. "I just think that Caleb got too much from me. He has your eyes, and that's all we know of so far. We'll have to see if he gets more of your personality. Right now, my dad says that he was a lot like me at two years old." Troy murmured, glancing in the rearview mirror back at this son, who was now drifting off to sleep after the eventful car ride. "He's going to be a great kid."

"I know." Gabriella agreed, warmth suddenly spreading inside of her. Caleb was her child, and that was something that no one could take away from her. No matter how much she wished that the accident had never happened and she was fifteen again, Gabriella would never give up Caleb for that.

"He ours." Troy said sincerely, pulling the car into the garage.

Gabriella's breath hitched silently. He really was _theirs._ She and Troy had made that child – their son; and he couldn't be more perfect.

* * *

"Alright, they are going to be here in ten minutes. My mom just called and said they're on their way." Troy explained as he walked into the kitchen where Gabriella was cooking spaghetti.

"Well, everything's made. I just need to change into something nicer…" Gabriella commented as she placed the spaghetti back on the stove after draining the water from it. "And does Caleb have something nice to wear, too?" the young brunette looked extremely flustered.

"Gabriella…" Troy said in an amused tone, coming over to set his hand next to hers on the counter. "My parents don't care what you wear. They don't care what Caleb wears. They just want to see you two, okay? You don't need to get dressed up for this, it's fine." Troy calmed his wife.

"I know, but I would really like to be wearing something other than sweatpants." Gabriella muttered, turning off the stove and setting the stirring spoon on the counter. "I'll be back down in a minute."

Troy gathered napkins and placed them around the dining room table while Gabriella went upstairs to change. It was at this time that his realization occurred.

He hadn't known what was going on with him these past few days, and it wasn't getting any better as time passed. Troy was trying to figure out what was wrong, but he didn't know – until now.

He was _numb_. Troy was not feeling anything. He wasn't feeling excitement over this season of basketball like he normally would; he wasn't happy about Christmas coming up, and most of all, he wasn't feeling _loved._

His hopes had repeatedly been lifted, only to be crushed day after day, doctor's appointment after doctor's appointment. Not feeling anything was good, because bad things couldn't affect him, right?

Troy was completely numb – and it scared him.

"Troy?"

Troy whipped around to see Gabriella staring at him curiously. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah." At that moment, the door bell rang. Gabriella scooped her toddler up in her arms as she let her husband answer the door.

Truth be told, Gabriella was nervous about tonight. Now she was surrounded by not one, but three people that she was uncomfortable around. Having Troy there wasn't as bad, but she couldn't shake the feeling that his parents would be expecting her to interact with Troy as they had when she remembered them.

"Gabriella! Caleb!" Lucille exclaimed as she walked in the door.

"Gwandma!" Caleb shouted back wearing a big grin. Gabriella handed her son over to his Grandmother's waiting arms.

"Look how big you've gotten! I've missed seeing you around. I don't get to see you as much anymore." Lucille cooed over the child before setting him down so he could get a toy.

The elder woman turned to her daughter-in-law. "Gabriella, it's so nice to see you. How have you been, darling?" she asked kindly.

"Fine, thank you. It's good to see you too. Thanks for coming over." Gabriella answered politely, glancing at Troy as he stared at her.

"Why don't we go into the dining room? Gabriella and I will bring the food out for you guys." Troy suggested.

The dinner was pleasant, and Gabriella was pleased that Lucille and Jack enjoyed her meal. Caleb was even on his best behavior. The toddler politely smiled at everyone, and didn't even bang his utensils together to make noise.

Conversation flowed easily, but Troy could tell that Gabriella was tense. His mom kept commenting on how she seemed more comfortable than when they were last together.

The awkwardness that Troy was hoping to avoid started after dinner. Lucille had brought ice cream for dessert.

"Gabriella, sweetheart, you seem to be adjusting well to your lifestyle." Lucille commented.

Gabriella blushed. "Thank you. Troy's been really helpful."

"Well, I know it may be a little bit forward of me to ask, but-"

"Lucille…" Jack spoke up in a warning tone, giving a meaningful look to his wife that neither Troy nor Gabriella missed.

"What? I was just going to ask if you had allowed Troy to move back into the master bedroom." Lucille finished, glancing at Gabriella.

Troy's mouth dropped. What was up with his mother? She knew the answer to the question and she loved Gabriella like she was her own daughter. Why would she be putting her in such an awkward position?

"Um…" Gabriella mumbled, looking at the ground with her face flushed red.

"Gabriella, would you mind getting some chocolate syrup for Caleb's ice cream?" Troy asked quietly in her ear, giving her an opportunity to escape answering the question.

She nodded and quickly left the room to go find the syrup, taking Caleb with her. Gabriella was smart enough to know that some kind of confrontation was going to occur.

Once he knew she was out of earshot, Troy turned to his mother. "What the hell was that, Mom? You know the answer to the question. I would have told you if we had shared the same room again." He said, glaring at her.

"I'm sorry, dear. I love her to death, you know that. I just don't think it's fair that you have slept in the guest bedroom for two months. You have basketball and you need your sleep and it's such an inconvenience-"

"Mom, are you really saying this to me right now?" Troy asked, astounded. "She's my wife. I would do anything for her because I love her. It's not like I'm sleeping outside-" Troy countered, but was cut off.

"Think of your child, Troy! The last time Caleb was over at my house I asked him how he was doing. Do you know what he said? He said, 'I'm fine, Grandma, but I don't think my mommy and daddy are happy'!" Lucille exclaimed, her voice rising.

"What?" Troy's face betrayed his astonishment. "He really said that?"

"Yes, honey. And he also told me that he felt weird because he had to visit separate bedrooms to see you guys in the morning. He said when he woke up he used to go into one room, but now he has to go into two. His other friends don't have that problem." Lucille said gently. She watched her son let out a huge sigh and drop his head into his hands.

"This can't be happening." He shook his head. "My life is out of control, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"It's not so bad, Troy. Gabriella looks like she's coming around, and basketball is starting so that should distract you a little bit." Jack spoke up, observing his son.

"I went to the doctor this morning." Troy said softly, lifting his head to look at his parents across the table. "Before Gabi or Caleb were up. My trainer said that I should get checked out before season starts, so I went."

"Okay, Troy. What's the problem, then? Is something wrong?" Lucille asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah. Apparently some of the things I said to the doctor got him worried. I told him about my situation with Gabriella, and how I haven't been sleeping well. He asked me how I felt about my life and I couldn't answer him. I don't feel anything. I just feel empty. I love Gabriella and Caleb, but I guess I'm not used to going without the sensation of _being loved_. I know Caleb loves me, but I haven't heard those three words from Gabriella since the day of the accident." Troy shook his head, his voice got even quieter as he put his face back into his hands.

"He wants to keep an eye on me, because he says if this lack of sleep and feelings of emptiness persist, then I may be suffering from chronic depression."

Troy looked up as he heard a gasp. Lucille was out of her chair faster than he thought possible, and was by his side, rubbing his shoulders.

"Troy, honey. I'm so sorry. I knew you were unhappy, but depression? What can I do to make it better?" she asked, kissing him softly on his forehead.

This was her son - her little baby boy that she brought home from the hospital twenty-five years ago – and he was suffering. It was unbearable.

"You can't really make it any better. The doctor said that if my relationship with Gabriella improves, I could probably bounce back. But Mom, I'm not going to have time to work on my relationship with her if I'm leaving for an away game stretch in less than a month! How are things going to get better?" Troy asked, looking from his mom to his dad with sad eyes.

"Things will get better, Troy. I can see the way that Gabriella looks at you, and how she reacted just moments ago when you whispered in her ear. It's exactly like it was when you were friends in high school, before you started dating." Lucille said, glancing at her husband and looking for backup.

"We can tell that she's falling for you." Jack said pointedly.

Troy fought desperately to keep his hopes from rising. These were his parents, and they always said what he wanted to hear. He refused to get his hopes crushed again.

"Anyway," the young man directed the conversation back to the original topic. "In addition to all of this stress about Gabriella, leaving her with Caleb, and the basketball season, I get to add the stress of my son viewing his parents as failures onto the list." Troy moaned.

"He doesn't view you as a failure. You're in the NBA – how many other dads can say that?" Jack pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. Caleb has seen Gabriella and me in the same bed since he was born. I can't believe I didn't think about how sleeping in different rooms would affect him! He probably is so confused as to why we are in different places. God, I really hope he doesn't think it's because of him…" Troy stood up from his chair and grabbed his plate. "My life is screwed up enough already."

"Troy." His mother reprimanded. "Don't say that. Your life is great. You have a beautiful wife and the cutest son, and they both love you."

Troy shot his mom a glare.

"It's true. Even though Gabriella may not know it, she does love you. She always has, and I'm sure she always will. Even though she forgot who you are, she still is the same person who held all of those feelings for you." Lucille commented.

Troy shook his head, abruptly finishing the conversation. He really didn't want to talk about this anymore.

"Thanks for coming to dinner. We'll see if Gabriella's up to having another one before I leave." Troy said sarcastically, gathering his father's plate.

"I'm really sorry about that, Troy. Tell Gabriella I feel terrible for asking her so many personal questions." Lucille stepped forward, giving her son a hug. "I just want to see you two happy again. You were so in love and it gave me such comfort to know that you and her were together and loving life. I just wish that you could go back to the way things used to be."

"Yeah, me too." Troy said, placing the dishes on the table and returning his mom's hug.

"Thanks for the dinner. It was wonderful. We'll see you soon." Lucille waved as she walked out the door.

"Good luck this week with practice. I expect to hear all about it." Jack shouted as he left the house after his wife.

Troy took the dirty dishes into the kitchen and made quick work of washing them before placing them in the dishwasher.

"Gabriella?" Troy called out, anxious to get this conversation over with and go to bed. It had been one hell of a day, and he honestly didn't know how much more of this he could take.

"I'm sorry for staying out of there for so long. I probably should have said goodbye." Gabriella walked into the kitchen timidly, glancing at Troy before looking at the ground.

"Where's Caleb?"

"In the living room playing with his train set." Gabriella said gently, standing in the same spot.

"I…" Troy began, but abruptly stopped when he felt Gabriella's arms wind around him.

"Troy…" he could hear the tears starting to work their way into her voice. "I never thought about how it's been almost three months since you slept in your own bed. I'm such a horrible person."

"No. Gabriella, don't ever think that. I offered to sleep in the guest bedroom because I wanted to. You never asked me to do that. Come on, bab-…Gabriella. Please stop crying. We've had this conversation before and I'm okay with it. You know that." Troy mentally cursed himself for almost calling her 'baby', and started to rub her back gently. "My mom shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry."

"I know you keep saying that Troy, but it must be tiring to have to stay out of your own bedroom. I am really okay with you coming back into the master bedroom." Gabriella said, brushing her bangs from her face and wiping the tears from her cheeks before looking up at Troy.

"That is really generous, Gabriella, but I'm not going to move back into the master bedroom and then make you stay in the guest bedroom. That's ridiculous." Troy said, holding in a dejected sigh as his wife removed her arms from him.

"I never said I would be moving out…" Gabriella whispered, and then left the room to go get Caleb ready for bed.

_What?_ Troy thought. _Is she serious? Does she really mean that she's comfortable sleeping in the same bed as me?_

Regardless of the fact that Gabriella was ready, there was no way he was going to take that step tonight. He didn't want to play off of Gabriella's hurt feelings caused by his mother.

Although, he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. Memories of when they were together flashed through his mind, reminding him of the way that she would clutch his t-shirt in the morning when he woke up early for basketball, trying to get him to stay in bed. She would curl close to him on winter days and kiss him enthusiastically every time he told her that he loved her. They almost never used the entire king-sized bed because they slept so close together.

And…her hair. Troy was in love with that, too. After a tough game or a long day at the gym, he loved burying his face in her curls and feeling her rub his back. She would kiss him softly and whisper words of encouragement for the next day, trying to get him to smile.

Then there were the nights he would come home from an away game stretch. Those nights almost made the trip bearable. Troy's plane would get in early in the morning, usually around two or three a.m., and he would come home to find Gabriella waiting up for him. She would fly across the room and into his arms as he dropped his duffel bag on the floor. Gabriella would always tell him over and over how much she missed and loved him.

Those nights were the best. He would bring her back to their bedroom, one which had been lonely for her while he was away, and take her under the covers to make love in a sweet reunion. He missed her desperately during those away game stretches, and every time he had to leave it got harder.

Troy sighed, now thoroughly tempted to accept Gabriella's offer and finally sleep in the same bed as her.

He had to remind himself that it wouldn't be the same. Gabriella wouldn't be placing soft kisses on his lips and rubbing his back. He wouldn't be able to bury his head in her hair or wrap his arms around her through the night.

It really wouldn't be the same.

There were so many reasons why he should do it – Caleb, curing his depression, not hurting Gabriella's feelings…

But there was the huge negative of awkwardness, and that seemed to outweigh any positives. He would just be making her feel uncomfortable.

"Troy…are you going to go to bed anytime soon?" Gabriella came into the kitchen where Troy had been standing for the past five minutes. She was dressed in her pajamas and filled up a glass of water for herself, while still looking at her husband.

"Yeah. Thanks for the offer, by the way. I think I'm going to stay in the guest bedroom, though. I hope you understand." Troy said softly, gently grazing his hand over her cheek.

"Okay." Gabriella nodded, sounding indifferent. Troy tried to stop the hurt inside him as he walked upstairs and got ready for another night in a cold bed.

Gabriella sat down at the kitchen table and willed for her tears to stop. She had completely opened herself up to Troy and offered to take the next step with him, and he rejected her.

He didn't want her. He wasn't interested in her. Gabriella couldn't get that out of her head. He never had wanted her, though. He wanted his wife back.

Shaking her head slightly, Gabriella stood up, suddenly feeling embarrassed for even suggesting that Troy would spend the night in the master bedroom. Heading up to her bedroom, Gabriella decided that she was going to forget about her feelings for Troy.

* * *

It was two-thirty in the morning when Gabriella momentarily woke from her sleep, confused and tired. She rested her head back on the pillow and tried to forget about the dream that she just had.

One where she was standing on a dark stage with a cardboard moon, and an audience full of teenagers watching her. She was holding a microphone, but no sound was coming out of her mouth.

If Troy had been in the same room as her, Gabriella could have told him about her dream.

If Troy had been in the same room as her, he could have told Gabriella that she remembered their audition for the winter musical of junior year.

* * *

I'm so sorry about the lack of updates, but this is my longest chapter yet! Hopefully it will hold you over for three weeks until I can update again.

Interesting factoid if you guys care – this is officially my **least** favorite chapter. I really don't like this one, but hopefully it wasn't too terrible for you guys.

**Thanks for sticking with me on this story.** I really appreciate it. Hopefully these chapters aren't disappointing. We have about two more to go before the story really starts to pick up.

If you're feeling kind, **let me know what you thought about the chapter.** Hopefully everyone has had a good few months!

Wounded Sparrow

* * *

**Next Chapter Preview:**

The day has arrived where Troy leaves for his away game stretch.

Taylor follows through on her promise to talk with Gabriella.

Something on ESPN surprises Gabriella.


	10. Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fearful

**Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! Here's your Christmas present! :) **

**Thanks for being so understanding about the updates! It means a lot. I'm going to try to get at least two more chapters out within the next week and a half. **

**Thanks for all of your reviews, too. They make my day!**

**BTW- I have finished planning the rest of the story, and it looks like it is actually going to be 27 chapters! I can't make it any shorter than that or the story will suffer, but I'll try to update as best as I can!**

*****For those of you who do not know what ESPN is, it is a sports channel in the United States (and I'm pretty sure many other countries in the world). They broadcast sporting events and other stuff. Just an FYI if you didn't know.**

Another thing – all the sports stars in this chapter are made up and do not exist.

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fearful

**Rating:** T (a few swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

Standing on her tiptoes to increase her height, Gabriella reached for the laundry detergent on the top shelf of the display for almost thirty seconds before she grasped the bottle and brought it down into the cart. Shopping was sometimes ridiculous, considering her height. Being petite wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

As she pushed the cart down the next isle, Gabriella spotted her two year old toddler sprinting across the store to get to her. She gently smiled as he approached and chucked a package into the cart.

"What's this, Caleb?" Gabriella questioned as she reached down to look at the box. Inside was a bicycle helmet. The young brunette couldn't help but giggle at her son's excited eyes.

"Oh, honey. I know you want this but you don't have a bike. When you get a tricycle we can come back and get it for you, okay?" Gabriella said gently, ruffling her toddler's sandy brown hair.

"But Daddy said! He said I could get it!" Caleb exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. Gabriella couldn't help but be confused.

"What do you mean 'Daddy said' sweetie? Why would he say you could get a helmet if you don't need one?"

"Because Daddy is buying his son a bike."

Troy's voice startled Gabriella, and she whipped around to see him carrying a large brown box before he set it in the cart.

"Troy, are you serious? What is it?" Gabriella asked, trying to decipher the description on the box when it was upside-down.

"It's a Schwinn Roadster Tricycle. We got it in black because that's Caleb's favorite color right now." Troy commented, picking up his toddler. The little boy gave him a huge hug.

"THANKS DADDY!" Caleb shouted with joy, giving his father another hug. Troy smiled proudly.

"He really likes it." The young man said to his wife, who was now staring at the box in awe.

"Troy, this tricycle is almost two hundred dollars! Are you serious?" she asked. This was unbelievable. A two hundred dollar tricycle just because Caleb wanted one? Her son was going to grow up and never learn the value of hard work if he got everything he wanted.

Troy let out a huge sigh before he placed Caleb in the built-in chair in the cart. He walked over to Gabriella and whispered in her ear so Caleb would not hear what he was saying.

"Gabriella, I've told you this before. The money is not a problem. It doesn't matter how much the bike costs." The young brunette tried to ignore the warmth of Troy's breath by her ear as she formulated her response.

"But Troy…" she turned around to look him in the eye, hoping to drive her point across. The blue in them was overwhelming, just as it always was, and made her stomach flip. "If Caleb always gets what he wants, when he wants, then how is he ever supposed to learn the concept of working hard to get what you want?"

Troy cast his eyes down at the ground momentarily before bringing them back up to meet Gabriella's. "I know that this seems like I'm giving him things that he wants, but Caleb asked for the tricycle a long time ago. He never mentioned it since."

"And that's that reason why, just out of the blue, you decided to buy him a bike?" Gabriella questioned, her face wearing a defiant expression.

"Well, he…no." Troy sighed again and leaned over to whisper in Gabriella's ear again. "Look, Gabriella. I'm leaving tomorrow and I won't be back for almost two weeks. It's really hard for me to leave Caleb and wonder if he thinks about why I'm gone. He knows that I go to play basketball, but he wonders why it takes so long. I just don't want him to ever think that _he_ might be the reason why I'm leaving. He's so young, and I want to make sure that he knows his daddy loves him, and that he really wants to be there with him. Buying a bike is the least I can do, especially knowing that I'm also going to miss Christmas this year." Troy looked at Gabriella sincerely, willing her to see his point. "I know it may seem like he always gets what he wants, but…"

The young brunette was quiet for a moment before she slowly nodded her head. That was a perfectly good explanation. She felt bad for assuming Troy had been carelessly buying Caleb anything he wanted without a reason. He couldn't help it. Troy was so worried about being absent from his son's life that he wanted to go out of his way to show Caleb that he loved him.

"Okay," she muttered, returning to the cart to continue her shopping. Troy walked in silence next to her, occasionally placing items that she would need in the cart.

The family was going grocery and supplies shopping in order for Troy to show Gabriella what kinds of food and materials Caleb would need. Gabriella tried to tell him that she already knew all about the things Caleb needed. She had observed her child for the last three months and figured it out herself. Troy just wanted to be sure, though.

"Did I mention that Caleb will be staying with my parents during the day while you're at work? The next daycare session doesn't start until after Christmas, so they offered to help out. You don't have to worry about driving him to their place, though. They'll sit at the house…" Troy commented absently, placing a package of water bottles underneath the cart.

"I think you mentioned that, maybe _three times before_." Gabriella smiled softly, looking at her now embarrassed husband. She held back a giggle when his cheeks turned pink.

"Sorry. I just really want to make sure you're okay while I'm gone." He said, looking down at the ground again. The couple started to make their way to the front of the store.

"Thank you." Gabriella whispered, and began to load the purchases onto the conveyer belt, including the two hundred dollar bike.

* * *

That night had been rough for Gabriella. She watched as Troy put Caleb to bed, tucking him in and kissing his forehead. After they returned from shopping, he had spent the rest of the evening playing with the toddler, and teaching him the basics of riding his new tricycle.

That wasn't really why the night had been rough, though. It actually was because watching Troy tuck in their child had given Gabriella a sickening realization…

_He was leaving for two weeks_.

What was she going to do without him? Here she was, alone in this new life of hers, like a three month old baby. Troy had been there for her and made her comfortable, but now she didn't have that home base anymore. That…_console._

So currently, at four in the morning, Gabriella was trying to keep in the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. She couldn't deny that she was really going to miss Troy for the next two weeks.

Caleb seemed distraught at the idea of his father leaving. Tears were streaming down the little boy's face as he clutched at his father's jacket.

"Hey, buddy. It's okay. Daddy will be back in a little less than two weeks. You still have mommy here. Right?" Troy soothed his child. Caleb glanced back at Gabriella and stuck a hand out for her. She moved toward the toddler and gave him a hug, even though he was still in his father's arms.

"Honey, you can still talk to Daddy everyday. He'll call." Gabriella looked up at Troy for reassurance.

"Every day," he nodded before leaning in closer to his son. "I'm going to miss you buddy. We'll play a bunch of basketball when I get back, okay?"

"Okay." Caleb muttered, his bottom lip still sticking out. The tears were slowing, but the pout on his face was becoming more pronounced.

"I love you Caleb. Be good for your mom." Troy leaned down to press a kiss to Caleb's forehead before setting the boy on the ground. He then turned to Gabriella.

_Here's the fun part_ he thought.

Troy had been dreading this moment for a while, not only because he had to leave his son behind, but because he had no idea how he was going to say goodbye to Gabriella. She was going to be left to fend for herself. If she needed him, he would be thousands of miles away.

Needless to say, saying goodbye to his wife was hard - even when she didn't remember who he was.

"You've got everything?" Troy asked gently, looking Gabriella in the eye. He could have sworn there were unshed tears clouding over the brown.

"Yeah. And I'll call you or your mom if I'm not sure of anything, or if I need help. I have all of the numbers in the kitchen by the phone." Gabriella stated, still trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Good. I'll call once my plane lands, too. And every night before Caleb goes to bed. Have a good two weeks at work, okay? Don't let them take advantage of you just because you don't remember how good you are at your job." Troy smiled softly.

"I won't. Thanks for the heads up, though." The young brunette muttered, before realizing the shocked expression that now covered Troy's face was because of the lone tear that had escaped from her eye.

_Damn it_ she mentally cursed before quickly wiping it away with her hand.

"Oh, Gabi." Troy sighed, bringing her into his arms. He kept a tight grip on his wife, carefully and subtly burying his face in her hair. God, he was going to miss her.

"I'll miss you, Troy." Gabriella mumbled into Troy's chest. Even though she knew he didn't want her, she couldn't help but let those four words slip out of her mouth.

"I'll miss you, too. Take care of Caleb, alright? You'll be fine." Troy muttered before releasing his grip on her.

_Of course, take care of Caleb._ _He's worried that I'll neglect my own child_ Gabriella thought. He wasn't really going to miss her; she was just the mother of his child. He wanted to make sure that Caleb was safe.

_Perfectly reasonable_ Gabriella reminded herself.

"Well, good luck in your four games. Taylor's going to come over tomorrow to watch you and Chad play the Suns." Gabriella said, picking up Caleb from the floor where he was watching his father.

Troy laughed. "Good. Hopefully we won't lose." He said before grabbing his duffel bag by his feet.

All of the sudden, a car honk interrupted the silence between the family.

"That's my car. Have a good two weeks, and I'll see you both very soon." Troy bid his final goodbye, and kissed Caleb on the forehead once more before turning to Gabriella and leaning in, rather hesitantly, to kiss her on the cheek. He didn't say a word afterwards, and walked out the door.

Gabriella was pulled out of her state of shock when she felt a tug on her hair and looked down at her toddler, who was now half asleep.

"Come on. Let's get you back to bed."

After Caleb was tucked in and had fallen asleep, Gabriella retreated to the master bedroom, where she drifted off into her own state of sleep.

But she couldn't forget the feeling of Troy's lips pressed to her cheek. It was something that would hopefully hold her over until he got back, but more so than that…

_Why would he do that if he didn't care about her?_

* * *

"Alright, dear. Have a good day at work. Don't worry about Caleb and I, we'll be fine." Lucille reassured her daughter-in-law. Gabriella smiled softly and tried to wipe the worried look off her face. "I'll be back tonight, okay sweetie?" Gabriella kissed her toddler on the cheek and gave him a big hug before retreating to her car in the garage.

As Gabriella had not slept well the previous night, had gotten up early to see Troy off, and was worried about her first day of work, she knew that today was not going to be fun.

Thankfully, her lunch break came around quicker than expected, and Gabriella found herself sitting face to face with Taylor, who had dropped by to "talk".

"I meant to ask you yesterday when I called…how was your Thanksgiving?" Taylor set her purse down on the floor as she and Gabriella took their seats in the building's cafeteria.

Gabriella's mind floated back to the previous week when she, Caleb, and Troy had gone over to Lucille and Jack's house for dinner. It had been slightly uncomfortable, seeing as the last time the five of them had dinner there had been some awkward conversation. For the most part, though, it was uneventful, and Gabriella actually managed to have a good time.

"The food was really good. Lucille is an amazing cook." Gabriella complemented, digging her cell phone out of her purse to check the time. "How was yours?"

Taylor grinned. "Nothing special. We had pizza. Chad knows that I don't like to cook, so he was nice enough to make a pizza out of the box for me."

"Aw… that's so considerate of him. Does he do that every year?" Gabriella questioned.

"No. To be honest, I think he had a hidden agenda. He's been trying to please me a lot lately. I'm pretty sure that I know why, too…"

"Really? A hidden agenda? What does he want from you?" The brunette looked confused.

"I think he wants to have a baby." Taylor whispered. "But I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother yet. He would be so happy, and I want to make sure he's happy, but I wanted to wait a couple of years until his career died down."

"Taylor, that's perfectly reasonable. If I could remember why Troy and I had Caleb so young, I would try and give you better advice, but I don't." Gabriella grinned. "He's so adorable, though."

"He is. It makes me want to have a child, but…not yet. I don't think."

"Maybe you should bring it up with Chad. You guys could talk and reach a compromise." The young brunette suggested.

"That's a good idea. I think I'll try that when he gets back." Taylor nodded, suddenly producing a smile. "So how's it been going today? Is Steven working you hard?" She grinned before taking a bite of her salad.

"Not too much. Just some basic things. He says business really heats up around Christmas, though. So I'm sure I will have plenty of work to do around the holidays." Gabriella commented.

"I can only imagine." Taylor agreed. "I don't know if I ever told you, but I work, too. I'm a trainer for paramedics. Intense job, but it's nice because I only have to work a couple of days a week. They start to get nice after you do great at your job."

Gabriella grinned. "A trainer for paramedics? That's awesome! But I thought you wanted to be a doctor?" The brunette's grin wore off as she looked into Taylor's frozen face.

"What?" her friend asked slowly.

"Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Gabriella muttered, suddenly embarrassed. She searched through her mind, trying to find the offensive comment.

"No, you didn't offend me. Just…I never told you I wanted to be a doctor." Taylor still spoke slowly, and her shocked expression was securely in place.

Gabriella was silent.

"You remembered that, didn't you? Oh my gosh, Gabriella!" Taylor exclaimed. "You remembered that!"

"Oh…" Gabriella muttered, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink.

"Wait a second. Have you remembered other things too?" Taylor whispered, leaning in close to Gabriella as if they were sharing secrets.

"Well, I honestly have no idea. It's not like I realize that they were things I had forgotten. I just feel like I know them. Like, the other day, when I was watching Troy play basketball with Caleb in the backyard. Caleb was wearing a small jersey with the number fourteen on it, and I realized that that was Troy's high school number. But then, I don't know if I saw that in a picture or not." Gabriella's eyes closed. "It's just so confusing."

"Did you tell Troy about that?" Taylor asked.

"No. He doesn't need to think that I'm starting to remember things if I'm just thinking about what I've learned the past three months."

"Gabriella," Taylor reached out to grab her friend's hand. "Troy would have wanted to know…regardless."

"I guess." Gabriella surrendered before taking a sip from her water bottle.

"Well, enough memory talk. I can tell it's making you uncomfortable. How about I ask you something I've been meaning to ask for a while…what was up with you and Troy that night we watched _The Grudge_?" Taylor questioned, her eyebrows raised slightly.

"Oh, that…" Gabriella's blush came back again. She was hoping to avoid this conversation with Taylor. "He's just really sweet like that. I didn't know that _The Grudge_ was a scary movie when Chad suggested it. I hate horror films, and I guess Troy knew that, so he was kind enough to comfort me."

Taylor stared back at her with a blank expression. "That does not explain why you were cuddling close to him during the entire movie."

"I was not…" Gabriella knew talking to Taylor was a lost battle, and decided just to get it over with. "I was really scared. We weren't cuddling."

"Sure." Taylor smirked. "Are you falling for him Gabriella? It's okay to tell me. I won't let him know. Promise."

"No, Taylor. Of course I'm not falling for him." Gabriella had to look at the ground as she obviously lied through her teeth. She hated doing that. "I have to go, my break's over in five minutes." The young brunette excused herself quickly. "Thanks for coming though."

"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow. I can tell you all about the Red Hawks games." Taylor commented, giving Gabriella a quick hug before leaving the building.

Gabriella returned to her office before sinking into her leather desk chair. Conversations with Taylor had always been more comfortable than with other people, and that scared her. What if she had accidentally told Taylor that she was falling for Troy? Taylor could have told him, and she would have been humiliated if Troy tried to tell her that he wasn't interested.

_Goodness. I'm putting more stress on myself than necessary._

"Gabriella?"

She whipped her head up at the sound of her name, and saw Michael, the owner of the company, standing outside her door.

"Oh, hello Michael. I'm sorry I didn't see you there." She commented, realizing that her blush was probably very pronounced at the moment.

"No worries. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. I made sure that Steven wouldn't work you too hard today, or the rest of the week. Is he keeping to that promise?" Michael crossed the room and sat in one of the chairs facing her desk.

"Yes. He's been really nice about everything. So that's why? You told him to?"

"Yeah. I wanted to make sure that you wouldn't quit. We need you around here." Michael smiled, before glancing around her office, his gaze stopping on a picture of her and Troy.

"So how's Troy doing? I hear the Red Hawks are up for a good season this year."

"He's good. He just left for his away game stretch this morning." Gabriella forced a small smile. Something was troubling her about her upper boss. He seemed so nice, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"That's nice. I'll be watching the game tomorrow." Michael stood up and walked back to the door before turning around to face Gabriella again. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me. My number's in your cell if you don't remember." He stated, before leaving the room.

At that exact moment, Gabriella's cell phone began to ring. She searched through her purse before she found it.

_Troy_.

"Hello?" she answered politely, just in case she had a client by the same name.

"_Hey Gabriella, it's Troy. Just wanted to let you know that my flight landed in Phoenix. How did everything go this morning?"_

Gabriella took a deep breath. It was _so_ good to hear his voice. _It almost felt too good._

"Fine. Your mom came over around seven and I took off about fifteen minutes later, so it was perfect." She stated.

"_Good. I was getting a little worried. I called you a couple of times before but you weren't picking up the phone._" He laughed slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Taylor came over to have lunch with me today, and I was just talking to Michael. I must have missed the ring." She stated apologetically.

There was a moment of silence on the other line. _"Michael?"_ Troy stated in a plain tone.

"Yeah. He owns the company." Gabriella said cautiously; suddenly weary of Troy's tone.

"_What did he say to you?"_

"He just wanted to know how my day was going. He asked about you, too. I think he's a fan." Gabriella moved the mouse of the computer as she noticed she had a new e-mail.

"_Sure…" _Troy's voice sounded very tense now, and Gabriella's gut feeling about Michael came back tenfold.

"Is something wrong, Troy?"

"_No. I'm just glad your morning went smoothly. I have to go now, but I'll call later tonight." _Gabriella heard a door opening in the background. He must have been at his hotel.

"Of course. I'll talk to you later then." She stated before ending the call.

Something was up with Troy, and Gabriella couldn't help but think that it had to do with Michael.

_There must be a history between them._

* * *

"Honey, sit down please," Gabriella said before turning her attention back to the stove.

Because it was just her and Caleb for the night, Gabriella decided to make him his favorite meal – Macaroni and Cheese – and then sit down to watch the Wiggles with him.

The sandy-haired boy stopped running immediately at his mother's request, and scrambled over to the sofa, burying his head in the blanket lying across the back of it.

Gabriella turned off the stove and poured the macaroni into a bowl for herself and a plastic dish for Caleb, before walking over to the couch and setting the dishes down on the table in front of it.

"Now Caleb, we aren't going to make a habit of eating in the TV room, so don't get used to it." Gabriella warned, before taking the toddler into her lap and handing him the plastic bowl. She would eat her own food later. Right now, she just wanted to make sure that he didn't spill.

"KAY!" Caleb shouted loudly before shoveling a massive amount of noodles into his mouth. Gabriella grinned and kissed his temple before turning on the TV.

Before she could switch to the correct channel, she noticed that ESPN was on, and decided to see if there was any mention of the Suns game the next day.

To her surprise, there was something much more relevant.

_Coming in at number three, Patrick Emory. He's got one of the best records in soccer, but even more so, he's got quite a few ladies to choose from as well. We'll be right back with the final two 'Hottest Sports Stars of the Year'. Stay tuned to find out if superstar stud Troy Bolton takes the top, or if Blake McCormick gets number one._

Gabriella's jaw dropped as she saw a picture of a shirtless Troy surface on the television. It must have been taken during a pre-game practice, and ESPN got a hold of it.

"Oh. My. God." She muttered, momentarily forgetting about the young two-year-old in her lap who was now staring up at her.

The fact that her husband was shirtless, and millions of people were seeing him shirtless, did not comfort Gabriella. But that momentary surge of jealously and protectiveness was overshadowed by the fact that she couldn't believe how good he'd looked.

Sure, Gabriella had seen him once without his shirt before, but she really didn't have the time to fully appreciate it.

But…_wow._

Caleb finally tugged at his mom's hair. She looked down at the toddler and noticed that his bowl was empty.

"Sorry, sweetie." She apologized, and then placed the bowl back on the table. Caleb turned to face her and buried his head in her chest. Gabriella smiled and wrapped a blanket around her son before returning her attention to the TV.

_The number two spot goes to…Blake McCormick. He's set the most records in football for someone of his age, and is the spokesperson for the new Adidas cologne. This super hot quarterback is number two on our list of hot sports stars. _

_This means, coming in at number one for the second year in a row, Troy Bolton. The kid is only 25 years old, and is already making huge waves in the NBA. Not only is he one of the most in demand players out there today, but he also has got killer blue eyes and a dazzling smile that wins all of the girls over. Only one problem – he's married. Sorry ladies, but this one is off limits. _

_That's your countdown of the hottest athletes of the year, stay tuned for – _

Gabriella turned the channel so that Caleb could watch the Wiggles, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

He was taken, by her.

Even though Gabriella knew that Troy was good looking, she had no idea how many other women were attracted to him, too. She couldn't believe that a guy like him – someone who was so amazingly handsome – was attracted to a girl like her. How is it possible that she managed to snag his heart, or used to anyway?

This was absolutely insane. Gabriella had never really realized how popular and famous Troy was. It was a marvel that they didn't get stopped more often on the streets.

Suddenly, the phone rang, and Caleb jumped out of Gabriella's lap and reached for the device on the table. The young brunette was momentarily distracted from her thoughts and observed with a smile as her son answered the phone.

"Hello. Daddy?" Caleb said in his cute baby voice. Gabriella loved listening to him talk.

The little boy was silent for a couple of minutes before he smiled brightly. "Okay. I pwomise!" he said before hanging up the phone.

Gabriella was suddenly confused and...hurt. Troy didn't want to talk to her?

_Of course he wouldn't. He doesn't think of you in that way._

"COME ON, MOMMY!" Caleb yelled in an exasperated tone as he tugged on Gabriella's hand. She got off the couch and followed the excited toddler to the front of the house where the computer room was. The little boy jumped up into the big chair and smiled at Gabriella.

"What is it, honey?" She asked gently.

Caleb's nose wrinkled up. "Don't you remember? We always talk with Daddy at night."

_Don't you remember…?_ Gabriella stood still for a moment as she let those words sink in. She wanted so badly to remember.

"Okay, you talked with Daddy on the phone. Do you chat with him on the computer?" Gabriella asked, suddenly noticing the web cam on the top of the monitor.

"YES!" Caleb shouted again before bursting into a fit of giggles. The young brunette laughed along with him before she spotted a laminated directions sheet on how to start up the web cam. Carefully following the directions, she was somewhat proud when she saw what looked like a hotel room pop up on the monitor.

She stepped off to the side and moved Caleb near the camera so that Troy would be able to see him. Suddenly, a huge amount of hair popped into view.

"_Hey Caleb! How are you doing, buddy?"_ Chad asked excitedly as he came into focus. The man was sitting down at the table where the computer was at and had a bowl of cereal in his hand.

"UNCY CHAD!" Caleb yelled with joy. Gabriella couldn't help but giggle at the pleased look on Chad's face. He suddenly looked away from the camera towards his right.

"_Troy!"_ he paused for a second. _"Yeah. Your son wants to talk to you. Come on, you have Daddy duty."_ Chad said before looking back at the camera. _"Bye Caleb!" _

"BYE!" Caleb waved vigorously. Gabriella moved herself even farther out of the web camera frame when Troy sat down at the table. He was drenched in sweat and looked beyond tired, but still had a smile on his face.

"_Hey bud. Sorry I'm a little late, Coach held me after practice. Did you have fun with Grandma today?"_ Troy questioned.

Gabriella watched Caleb and Troy interact. He was only two years old, but her son knew how to do so many things already, and was so mature for his age. Caleb talked dynamically about everything, answering all of his father's questions with long stories. Never once did Troy look like he was losing interest. After about a half hour, Caleb got noticeably quieter, before finally letting out a yawn.

"_Uh oh. It's getting close to your bed time. Where's mommy?" _Troy questioned, noticing his son's loss of energy.

"Right here, Troy." Gabriella answered, hoping that Troy didn't mind her listening in to their conversation. "Come on, Caleb. Say 'bye' really quick before we get you ready for bed."

"Bye, Daddy…" Caleb mumbled, obviously warn out even though it was only seven o'clock.

"_Bye buddy. I love you."_ Troy answered, laughing as Caleb blew a kiss towards the camera. _"Oh, Gabriella. I'll wait here while you put Caleb to bed, but… could you come back?" _

Gabriella stood speechless, her heart racing ahead of her mind for a moment before she realized that Troy was probably just wondering what Caleb did that day.

"Sure. Give me-"

"_Fifteen minutes. No problem."_ Troy smiled, before getting out of the chair. Gabriella saw the hotel room again, and shook her head slightly before carrying her toddler, who was now insisting that he wasn't tired, up to his room.

"Mommy…" Caleb muttered as she tucked the toddler into his racecar bed. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Gabriella debated for a moment. "How about you start off in your bed, here, and when I'm ready to go to bed, I'll come get you and bring you into my bedroom. Sound good?"

Caleb nodded eagerly before turning his face into the pillow and promptly falling asleep. Gabriella held back a giggle.

Sitting back in the computer chair, she didn't know what to do to get Troy back on. Feeling slightly stupid, she muttered his name.

"Troy,"

Suddenly her husband appeared back on the other side, freshly washed. He must have had a shower during the time Gabriella had put Caleb to bed.

"_Thanks for coming back. How was the rest of your day at work?"_ Troy questioned, fidgeting with something in his hands. She could now make out Chad from behind Troy, peeking in from the side.

Holding in a laugh, Gabriella answered politely. "It was fine. Caleb and I were okay tonight, too. We had macaroni and cheese and watched the Wiggles. Although, I was taken off guard by this whole web cam thing. You forgot to mention that." The young brunette smiled, and she could distinctly make out some red on Troy's cheeks.

"_Sorry about that. I realized it after I had already left. The team is nice enough to set up web cams in our hotel rooms so we can talk to our families. It's really convenient."_

"That is really nice. Oh, and before I forget, congratulations on being named the hottest sports star of the year for the second year in a row." Gabriella commented nonchalantly. She observed how Troy's eyes widened slightly.

"_Seriously? Did you see that on ESPN?"_ he asked quietly, as if trying to keep his award a secret. Unfortunately, Troy must have had the volume on his computer up, because suddenly Chad jumped into the picture with a mischievous grin on his face.

"_You can't be serious."_ He smiled, before letting out a huge laugh. _"Oh, me and the guys are going to have loads of fun with this."_ Chad grinned, before Troy shoved him out of the picture after rolling his eyes.

"_You aren't going to say a word to them."_ Troy threatened his friend. Gabriella could still hear Chad's laughter in the background.

"Well, I think it's pretty cool. I mean, I had no idea that I was married to the hottest sports star of the year…really." Gabriella added in a low voice, but Troy heard it perfectly clear. He didn't know what to say. It looked like she was uncomfortable with the thought, but he couldn't imagine why.

"_Yeah, well…I think that this is inaccurate anyway. I bet there's only one person who picks all of the athletes." _Troy said into the camera, now observing how Gabriella was twisting her hair around her finger.

"_It is not only one person and you know it TROY!" _Gabriella heard Chad's voice in the background of the hotel room and smiled.

"I should probably get going. I want to get to bed early, and Caleb wanted to sleep in the master bedroom, if that's okay." Gabriella asked.

"_Of course. He sleeps there a lot, anyway. Have a good night."_ Troy said quickly before throwing a wad of paper at Chad.

"Thanks, you too. Good luck in your game tomorrow. Taylor and I will be watching." Gabriella answered. "Bye."

"_Bye." _Troy said, and Gabriella turned off the computer monitor and unhooked the web cam before retreating to the master bedroom.

In the hotel room in Phoenix, Troy stared at the now black screen. He couldn't help but let the words slip as his fingers traced the monitor.

"I love you."

"Aw, come on man. Cheer up. She looks like she's coming around." Chad comforted. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Chad really did care about Troy, and he hated seeing him this way.

"Hardly. I don't know what I'm going to do if she never remembers, especially now that Michael has made a move back into her life." Troy said disgustedly.

"Are you going to tell her about that?" Chad asked, looking up from the book he was reading.

"I may have to. Either that, or I'm going to have to talk to him when I get back." Troy answered in a tense voice.

Chad continued to look at his best friend. "Do you want to talk about it? About Gabriella or anything. I'm always here, man."

"No. I just…no." Troy said, effectively ending the conversation. He walked back over to his bed and switched off his table lamp.

Only one thought was going through his mind.

_How the hell was he supposed to just be friends with Gabriella for the rest of his life?_

* * *

So, as I first started writing the chapter, I actually liked it. But then, towards the end, I started to dislike it. Figures. I can't even like a chapter I write. Lol.

Anyway, I feel like it was easier to write because there was a lot going on. Did you guys like it, or was it a little too much action going on in one chapter?

*BTW – never used a web cam in my life, so sorry if I messed up some details. I tried to make it as accurate as possible.

Thanks for sticking with the updates. Expect two more over my winter break. Maybe three if I'm up to it, but no promises.

Merry XMAS!

Wounded Sparrow

* * *

**Next Chapter:**

Troy comes home after two weeks away from Gabriella and Caleb. What kind of reunion will occur?

What happened between Troy and Michael? Will Gabriella find out?


	11. I Missed You

**So… I suck at life. I know. I'm the worst updater in the world. **

**Sorry to ****Sammy55****. I promised to get this chapter up during the weekend, but because I decided to make it longer, I needed an extra day to write it. Thanks for sticking with the story!**

**Here's the good news though, since it seems that I have no time to update during the school year, I'm going to finish this story by the end of August. This means that there are going to be a crap-load of chapters for you guys to read, because right now the story is supposed to be around 27.**

**Also, I wrote my first ever one-shot in April, so be sure to check it out! I'm very fond of it – it's called Unforgettable and is about Troy and Gabriella's relationship during their first year of college.**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **I Missed You

**Rating:** T (a few swear words)

**Summary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

Two weeks had never gone slower.

"Yes! That's my man!" Taylor clapped excitedly as she hollered at the TV.

The young woman had come over to the Bolton house in order to watch the Red Hawks game with Gabriella. It was _finally_ the last one of the four that were scheduled while the team was away, and the competition was fierce. Their opponent, the Golden State Warriors, was a tough match.

"Did you see that? Chad totally stole the ball from that other guy and dribbled it all the way down the court to make that lay-up! Oh my gosh! That was incredible!" Taylor bounced in her seat, her eyes wide with excitement. "No matter how many times he does that, it is always fascinating to watch!"

Gabriella smiled genuinely at her friend. She was really starting to enjoy these days where they could hang out and watch the boys play on TV.

It was unbelievable to her that Troy was on television. She knew him in real life. He was the man who was so caring and sweet to her, who lived in the same house as her, who was the father of her child – and he was on television where everyone in the country could see him play.

The first game against the Suns was one that Gabriella would never forget. She had no idea just how good Troy was at basketball, and after the announcers filled in the audience with his stats, the young brunette couldn't help but swell with pride that this amazing prodigy was her husband.

However, it wasn't all exciting. She remembered the conversation that the sportscasters had had about Troy that day. It was something that shocked her incredibly, and almost brought her to tears.

"_I'm Mike and I'm here with Jerry and Bill on ESPN SportsCenter. So, it's the first official game of the Redhawks' season, and the team is expected to go far after their incredible finish in last year's playoffs… how do you think the game is going to play out tonight guys? What are your predictions?"_

"_Well Mike, I feel like the Redhawks have the ability to step it up and capture a victory if they can come together and really work as a team the way they did at the end of last season. The Suns will put up a fight, but I think a Redhawk victory is not out of the question..."_

"_I have to agree with Jerry. I think the Redhawks are very capable of a win, but I believe their power on the court is really going to come from Troy Bolton. This guy has one of the best shooting percentages in the NBA, and he continues to impress with his amazing defense. If he's on his game tonight, then there is no stopping the Redhawks from seizing a win." _

"_You're right Bill. Troy Bolton is going to be the key player this season for the Redhawks, but I don't know if he's going to have the power to keep up a good game on the court. I've seen many players compete during tough times in their personal lives, and their level of competition just isn't the same. But if Bolton can keep a good mental mindset, then this game will definitely have a good chance of going to the Redhawks."_

"_That's right, Mike. Just three months ago Troy Bolton's wife was involved in a serious car accident that landed her in the hospital with severe injuries. While all of the physical damages have been mended, it has been reported that Mrs. Bolton lost a significant portion of her memory. Representatives for the Redhawks stated that her memory loss was so severe that she was unable to remember who Troy was. The last couple of months have been extremely difficult on Troy, and it would not surprise me if the situation had some kind of effect on his game." _

Gabriella remembered how her eyes had filled with tears after that broadcast. Taylor had immediately tried to console her, telling her that everything was okay, but the young brunette knew better. It made complete sense in hindsight, but Gabriella had failed to think about what kind of impact her accident would have on Troy's basketball career. The last thing she wanted to do was negatively impact his game.

How desperately she wanted to get her memory back! Gabriella would have given anything to remember her friends, her son, and her _husband._ Both her life and Troy's would be so much better if she could just acknowledge events from the past ten years of her life.

Nevertheless, aside from the emotional impact the first basketball game had on her, Gabriella couldn't help but look forward to Red Hawks' game days.

"That was amazing!" Gabriella complimented after Chad made another great steal. She smiled at her best friend, who was beaming with pride. The brunette wondered if she had reacted the same way before the accident. Although, she couldn't help but grin internally whenever Troy made a basket or blocked a shot.

The game was now tied at 96-96 and the clock only had one minute left on it in the fourth quarter – plenty of time for anything to happen.

"_And the Redhawks' coach calls a time out. This game is very important to the Hawks. If they can pull off a victory, then they will continue to be undefeated this season."_ The announcer said for the fans at home.

Gabriella watched as the camera revealed a close-up of the team huddled together, running over plays. She noticed Troy's blue eyes looking intensely at the coach, and felt an ache within her almost immediately.

It had been two weeks since he left, and Gabriella couldn't lie to herself anymore – she was miserable. She had tried to put on a facade for Taylor, Caleb, and Troy's parents, desperate for them not to realize that she was falling for her husband.

It sounded silly, but she didn't want anyone else to know about how she felt. If Taylor knew, or heaven forbid, Lucille, Troy would surely know within a couple of hours and it would make things even more awkward between them.

Gabriella couldn't sacrifice their new friendship, and she wouldn't. She would just have to suck it up and deal with the situation. Troy was not interested in her anymore. He just wanted his wife back, and that fact alone was enough to rip at Gabriella's heart.

The young brunette's attention quickly glanced at the sleeping toddler in her lap. Caleb had tried to stay up to watch his daddy play basketball, but had been unsuccessful. The sandy brown hair that he inherited from his father was ruffled as he cuddled closer to his mother, grabbing some of her t-shirt in his tiny fists.

The game resumed, and Chad put the ball into play on the Redhawks' side of the court. It was quickly passed from one player to another until it reached Troy at the three-point line, where he jumped into the air to shoot the ball, but was shoved to the ground by a player on the opposing team.

"_Oh! That one must have hurt. I don't know if Bolton's going to be able to recover from that tough of a hit" _the announcer on the TV said as Gabriella's heart stopped beating.

Gabriella focused her attention on the TV and saw a close up of Troy lying on the floor. He wasn't getting up.

"Oh my God! Is…is he alright!?!" Gabriella glanced over at Taylor who looked just as worried.

"I don't know." She said softly in a nervous tone.

Their fears were suddenly put to rest as Chad came over and helped Troy off the floor. He stumbled a little bit before signaling to his coach that he was okay.

_Thank God._

After making both of his free-throws, the game continued, and the anticipation grew as both teams put up quick points.

"…_Bolton goes up for the shot…AND IT'S GOOD! THE REDHAWKS WIN! THE REDHAWKS WIN!"_ the TV announcer shouted. Gabriella was startled as she watched Chad and Troy celebrate with their team on the court. During the last twenty seconds of the game, Chad had scored a basket, and then Troy had sunk a three at the last second for the Redhawks' victory.

"YES! That's all four! They won all four! I can't believe they're undefeated! This is so exciting!" Taylor cheered, forgetting about the sleeping toddler in Gabriella's lap.

Caleb stirred some, but sunk back into unconsciousness quickly.

"That's amazing!" Gabriella joined in excitedly. She tried to watch Troy and see what he was doing, but the camera quickly changed to reveal Chad up close with a female reporter standing next to him.

"_I'm here with Chad Danforth, the forward for the Albuquerque Redhawks. Now, you had an incredible game tonight. Was there anything that the coach said in the locker room, or did your team just have the energy today?" _the reporter announced.

Chad grinned excitedly as he quickly waved at someone off camera before turning his attention to the reporter. "_Well, we knew that this was a big one. All of us have been away from our families for two weeks now, and I guess the fact that we're flying back to Albuquerque tonight proved to be some motivation for us today." _Chad smiled into the camera and mouthed "I love you Taylor".

"Awww!" Taylor giggled with a content look on her face. "He is so sweet. I can't wait for him to come home."

"Around what time do they usually land in Albuquerque?" Gabriella asked her friend, observing how Chad shook the reporter's hand and then walked toward the locker room.

"Well, it's what…9:05? So the team will have to do a little bit of press and then they will probably have a team meeting. After that they will get cleaned up and taken back to the hotel to get their stuff. So their flight will most likely leave at…hmm… eleven or twelve tonight. It sucks, but the boys usually land at around two or three in the morning, and always get home really late." Taylor calculated. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to wait up that late for Chad." She laughed.

"Oh. That is really late. I was going to wait up for Troy, too, but I don't know if I can stay up." Gabriella sighed, watching the TV as Troy came into view. He was shaking hands with the opposing team's coach.

Her attention was once again attracted to his brilliant blue eyes. They held so much respect for the Warriers' coach. She could remember those same orbs glancing at her with kindness and worry for the past few months. Even longing, though that was the look that hurt the most, because it just reminded her of how much he missed the old Gabriella.

Although Troy was dripping sweat, the young brunette was completely mesmerized by how his jersey revealed his bulging biceps. Gabriella never had the time to appreciate them, but she couldn't deny that Troy looked insanely hot at that moment. It was as if watching him from a distance amplified how handsome and attractive he actually was.

"He's so…" The knot in Gabriella's stomach immediately disappeared as she realized what she had been about to say in front of Taylor. Her friend was looking at her with wide eyes, but as soon as Gabriella glanced in her direction, Taylor's mouth formed into a big grin.

"What were you going to say?"

_Shit. I've been trying to play it cool all week in order to prevent anyone from thinking that I was falling for Troy, and now I just blew it. _

"Excited. Troy looks so excited." Gabriella attempted to cover up. Taylor raised one of her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Sure…" the young woman muttered under her breath, looking back at the television.

Wrapping her arms tighter around her toddler, Gabriella let out a small sigh. She knew that these growing feelings couldn't stay under wraps forever, but she was sure as hell going to try to keep them unknown for as long as possible.

* * *

"Alright guys. I realize it's late and you all want to sleep a little bit before the plane lands, but I just wanted to let you know how proud I was of your effort on the court today. You really worked as a team and didn't give up even when we were down by seventeen points at halftime. I understand that these past two weeks have been hard, and that none of us like away game trips, but I really appreciate the dedication you put into practice and games. The Redhawks are officially undefeated!" Coach Cohen lectured at the front of the basketball team's private jet, cheering with the players as they celebrated their successful beginning of the season.

"Dude, I don't know if I have ever been so excited to go home. I love basketball and all, but I'm just dying without Taylor." Chad commented. "I want to see if all my efforts to please her and my extended absence have paid off and convinced her that we should try for a baby."

Troy couldn't help but laugh. "Chad, why don't you just talk to her about it? You keep dropping these subtle hints that are supposed to sway her but what you really need to do is talk about it. I'm sure that you guys can sit down and discuss something as important as becoming parents."

Chad ran a hand through his afro. "I know. I just already know her answer, and I really wanted to start trying sometime soon. I mean, you and Gabi had Caleb when you were 23. Waiting an extra two years has to mean something to Taylor."

"I'm sure it does, man. But you are going to get nowhere if you don't talk to her." Troy commented, looking at the magazine he found in the front of his seat.

"I just wish it was easier! How did you and Gabriella reach that kind of consensus so easily? It's just not fair." Chad vented in a frustrated tone.

This comment made Troy stop reading for a moment. He looked at his friend seriously, remembering the same situation he had been in a little over two years ago.

"We didn't agree on having children." Troy said seriously.

Chad looked over at him in shock. "What?"

"Yeah. I remember I was in the same position as you were. I wanted to have kids and she didn't because it would impact her career, and with me playing basketball the majority of the year, she felt like she would never get to see me." Troy explained, remembering the heated discussion that had taken place between him and his wife.

"Well then, how did you get her to agree?" Chad asked curiously.

Troy sighed, wiping his face with his hand. "Not the way I thought I would." The young man closed his eyes as the event came to the forefront of his mind. "It's a long story…"

"_Um…do I look okay for this?" Troy asked nervously as he stood by the front door, holding the car keys. The basketball player was wearing a black tux with a skinny black tie – one of the only formal outfits he owned._

"_It's fine." Gabriella replied curtly, refusing to look at her husband before opening the door with excessive force. "Let's just go." _

_Troy took in a deep breath before following his wife to the car. The entire ride there was silent, and it was beginning to eat at the young man. _

_They were on their way to the company Christmas party that was held every year by NGI, the accounting firm Gabriella worked at. As this was the first year Gabriella had the job, it was important that the couple attended. _

_Upon arriving at the office, where the party was being held in the banquet room, Gabriella immediately opened her door and shut it roughly before stomping into the building without saying a word. _

_Troy let out a sigh from behind the driver's seat and turned off the car. He noticed that Gabriella had left her clutch on the passenger seat so he grabbed that before making his way toward the building. _

_He really hated fighting with Gabriella. It was one of the things that he tried to avoid whenever he could, but it inevitably occurred on occasion. _

_While Troy was regretting that fact that he had brought it up, the twenty-two year old knew that it was something they needed to talk about. This was a decision that involved both of them because it was so life-changing. _

_Troy had finally worked up the nerve to talk to Gabriella that afternoon about the possibility of having kids. They hadn't really talked much about it before, but he remembered she had mentioned in passing on one of their dates that the idea of children did not appeal to her. _

_That should have been a warning to Troy, because the discussion had not gone the way the young man imagined. _

_Gabriella had gotten extremely angry with him after he told her that he was not negotiating the idea of having children. It was something that he wanted so much. He wanted to be a dad, and didn't care that he was only just out of college. _

_His wife was not so keen on the parenting role, claiming that having a child would affect her career, and that Troy wasn't the one who had to get fat and carry a baby for nine months. He could still play basketball and continue on with his normal life while she had to do all of the work. _

_Troy had tried to explain to her that they could figure it out with a few sacrifices, but Gabriella vehemently opposed the idea, walked away from the conversation, and refused to say more than simple phrases to her husband for the rest of the afternoon…and apparently night._

_Troy entered the building where he spotted easily over two hundred people that he didn't know mingling with wine glasses in hand. Feeling slightly out of place because he was so much taller than everyone else, the young man began to look for his wife. How the hell was he going to be able to find Gabriella with all of these people here?_

_After searching for a good ten minutes, Troy came across her talking to two other women. He carefully walked over to his wife, still cautious about her anger towards him, and gently laid a hand on the small of her back, while he leaned down to whisper in her ear.  
_

"_You left your clutch in the car," he murmured, holding it out for Gabriella to take. She grabbed it before turning back to talk to her friends, ignoring Troy all together. _

_Jesus, it was going to be a long night._

_Troy stood behind his wife awkwardly for nearly fifteen minutes before Gabriella stopped talking to the two other women and made her way across the room. When Troy began to follow, she turned around so quickly that he almost bumped into her. _

"_What are you doing?" she asked in a frustrated tone. Troy couldn't help the surprised look that overcame his face._

"_What do you mean? I'm following you to wherever you're going." He stated as if it was obvious. Gabriella rolled her eyes and Troy felt the hurt and rejection wash through him, contributing to the already existent emotional pain that he had been feeling all night. _

"_Go mingle, Troy. It's a party. You don't have to follow me everywhere." She snapped before walking away, leaving Troy alone in the middle of the room. _

_Completely on his own at an event where Troy did not know anyone, he decided to head back to the car and wait until Gabriella was done. Maybe a basketball game was on the radio. Anything had to be better than standing in the middle of the room like an idiot, not talking to anyone. _

_Making his way through the crowd towards the doors, the basketball player was stopped by the sound of his name. _

"_Troy Bolton? No way." Troy turned around to see a balding man in a gray suit walking towards him. "I'm a huge fan! I can't believe you're here." _

"_Oh. Thank you. I came with my wife, Gabriella." Troy stated, gesturing to where the brunette was standing. She was now talking to a man who looked to be in his mid thirties. _

"_I am just so excited with how well the Redhawks are doing now that you are on the team! We were struggling so much before, but now we're sense for the championship trophy." The man stated excitedly. Troy tried not to smile at how he referred to the Redhawks as "we"._

_Another man quickly came over and introduced himself as Steven, Gabriella's boss. The two began to talk to Troy about basketball and the upcoming season for nearly twenty minutes before the young man saw something that made him excuse himself from the conversation._

_Over in the far left corner of the banquet room, the man in his thirties that Gabriella had been talking to was now resting a hand on her shoulder, and was standing way too close for Troy's liking. _

"_Excuse me, guys. It was nice talking but I should go check on my wife. She hasn't introduced me to the guy she's with right now." Troy stated, pointing over to the corner of the room._

"_Oh, that's Michael." Steve stated nonchalantly. "He owns the company." _

"_Thanks." Troy said absentmindedly before making his way through the massive amount of people to where Gabriella was standing. However, before he got there, Troy witnessed how Michael grabbed Gabriella's hand and pulled her out of the banquet room. _

_Troy's heart began to race as he noticed Gabriella leave with Michael. Was she planning on sleeping with him? Troy couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. Maybe she was so pissed off at him that she would have sex with Michael just to get back at him for pushing his idea of kids on her. _

_Troy didn't even care anymore. He could wait for kids, or if it came down to it, he would opt to not have kids at all. As long as Gabriella didn't sleep with Michael, he didn't care about anything else. It would kill him if something happened between them. _

_After hustling out the same door the two had left through earlier, Troy found himself in a hallway filled with office doors. Glancing into each room frantically, he ran down the corridor, trying to find his wife. _

_Hearing voices, Troy turned around and noticed the two at the other side of the hall. Seeing the door shut, Troy felt his stomach clench as he ran to the door, carefully looking through the glass window on the side. _

_Gabriella was fiddling with her clutch nervously as Michael placed his drink on the desk in the room. Troy watched as she slowly took steps backwards when Michael began to walk towards her. The brunette's back hit a wall and the older man began to caress her face with his hand before running his fingers over her lips. His other hand settled on her waist and pulled her close to him. _

_Troy heard Michael comment, "I've never told you before, but you are so appealing. The perfect woman for the owner of a multi-million dollar company." _

_This, along with Gabriella's terrified expression, was the breaking point for Troy. He reached for the door handle, only to find that is was locked. Disregarding the fact that it could cause an injury that would put him out of basketball for the season, Troy smashed his body into the door, causing it to swing open after the lock broke. _

_Both Gabriella and Michael were startled by the noise, and searched for its source. Upon seeing her husband, Gabriella immediately shoved Michael away before running towards Troy. He wrapped his arms tightly around her as she started to shake, burying her face in his chest. _

_Now that his wife was safe, Troy looked angrily at the other man. _

"_What the hell were you doing with my wife?" he demanded in an angry tone, pissed beyond belief that this guy had tried to make a move on the most important thing in his life._

"_Wife? Oh, dear. I apologize. I had no idea." Michael stuttered out quickly, flushing red with embarrassment. "If you both could do me a favor and not mention this to the other employees…"_

_Troy rolled his eyes in disgust. He probably just wanted to screw Gabriella and then dispose of her, just for his own benefit. No way in hell that was ever happening. _

_Weighing his options, Troy realized that it would harm Gabriella more than help her to spread the word of what happened in Michael's office. Therefore, he had no choice but to oblige to the man's request. _

"_Fine." he said in a reluctant tone, feeling Gabriella's arms wrap tighter against his waist as she pressed herself closer to him. "But I swear to God if I hear or see that you have come on to my wife like that again, the entire world is going to know, because I'll announce it on television. Understand?" _

_Michael pulled at his tie slightly. "Of course." He mumbled, looking at the ground. _

_Troy took this opportunity to pull Gabriella out of the office and back into the banquet room. He didn't stop until they had made their way to the front doors. _

"_I think we should go home. Is that alright?" he mumbled into her ear, and after feeling her head shake in agreement, brought her out to the car._

_Just like on the way there, the ride home was silent. This time, however, Gabriella did not let go of Troy's hand. It was nestled in between both of hers, and her head was resting on his shoulder. When they finally made it home, Troy noticed that she had fallen asleep, so he gently carried her into the house, setting her on the master bed before collapsing on it himself. _

_Spotting Gabriella's clutch wrapped around her wrist, Troy gently pulled it off and set it on the dresser by the bed. However, the young man was suddenly curious as it if his wife had had contact with this Michael before. Opening her cell phone, Troy scrolled through her contacts until he reached the M's. _

"_Damn it." He cursed, seeing the creep's name._

"_Troy?" Gabriella called softly, her voice heavy with sleep. Troy whipped around, her cell phone still in his hand. "What are you doing with my cell phone?" she asked curiously._

_Troy placed the device back onto the dresser before slipping off his shoes, tie, and jacket and lying next to her on the bed. _

"_How long have you known Michael?" he asked gently. _

_Gabriella sat up quickly and looked meaningfully at her husband. "I've known him since I started at the company. He hired me, but I swear Troy, there's nothing going on. I was so scared tonight because I thought he was going to hurt me! He's always acted a little friendly but I had no idea he was into me like that! I promise." She reassured her husband, grabbing his hand in hers to prove her point. _

_Troy sighed, closing his eyes and thinking about how scared Gabriella looked even when she didn't know he was watching. "I believe you. I'm sorry you had to go through that tonight. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if I hadn't been there."_

"_Troy…thank you for saving me today. You are so much more than I deserve." Gabriella said quietly and Troy watched a tear roll down her face. _

"_Baby," he said, wrapping her in his arms, "I will always be there to save you. I love you so much and I can't stand to see you hurt."_

_Gabriella reached up to kiss the visible skin on his neck. "I love you, too. I'm sorry for acting like a bitch tonight. I was so mean to you, especially leaving you by yourself when you didn't know anyone. You've always been nice enough to keep me by your side at basketball events and have introduced me to your teammates and their family members so I would feel comfortable. I couldn't even do that tonight. I'm really sorry." _

_Troy pulled her tighter to him. "It's okay. I know you were mad at me, and you have a right to be. I'm sorry for bringing up the subject of children, honey. I hate fighting with you." _

_Gabriella leaned on her arm and looked at her husband lovingly. "I don't like fighting with you either. And I'm sorry for blocking out your opinion on the matter. If you want, I think your little act of heroism today deserves a reward." The brunette smiled. "Do you want to talk about this some more?"_

_Troy moved himself so that his back was resting against the headboard of the bed. "I don't want to get into another argument though…"_

"_I promise we won't." _

_Troy took a deep breath. "Okay. So I guess you already know where I stand on the issue. I really want a child." _

_Gabriella nodded. "And you know that I don't really want one because it will have a massive effect on my career." _

"_Right." Troy answered._

_Gabriella was quiet for a moment, as if she was debating what she was about to say._

"_But…Troy…it's not that I don't want to have a baby. I've dreamed of being a mother ever since I met you." Gabriella confessed._

_Troy looked at her with a confused expression. "I don't understand…"_

"_Troy…having a child not only affects my career, but it means that I'm not going to get to spend as much time with you anymore. You are always gone during the winter and I barely get to see you then. If we have a child, then that becomes the center of our entire world. I know it sounds selfish, but I want all of the time I can get with you." Gabriella confessed, her cheeks flushing red from embarrassment. _

_Troy shook his head gently and put his fingers underneath her chin to lift her eyes to his. "Gabriella…that's absurd. I will always have time for you. We will always spend our lives together. I'm not going to ignore you just because we have a child. I love you so much…you know that," he said gently. "Besides, you think that you are going to have to fight for time with me? Gabriella, _I_ am going to have to fight for time with _you. _You would be the mother of the child, and your bond would be so strong that if anyone would be feeling left out, it would be me." _

"_That would never happen." Gabriella reassured._

"_You never know. All I can promise you is that if we have a child, nothing will change between us. We'll just be parents, that's all. I'll still fall asleep next to you and wake up to your beautiful face in the morning. We'll still go out on dates, but just have to get a babysitter. My love for you is not going to go away, honey." Troy promised, looking intently at his wife._

_Gabriella looked into the sincere gaze of her husband and understood that he was telling the truth. She just needed to trust him. _

"_Okay."_

_Troy's eyebrows rose. "What?"_

"_Okay. We can try for a baby." Gabriella said._

_Troy immediately grabbed his wife's hand. "Really? Are you sure? I don't want to do this if you are going to regret it." _

"_I won't. I trust that our relationship won't change after we have a child, and because of that, I want to have your baby."_

"_Gabriella…I don't know what to say…" Troy said gratefully, hugging his wife tightly to himself as he tried to make her understand how much she meant to him._

"_You could always say…that we could start trying tonight?" The brunette suggested and Troy immediately felt a smile grow on his face when he saw his wife's flirty expression. _

"_Hell yes. And every night after." Troy agreed, pinning Gabriella to the bed as he rolled on top of her._

"Holy shit! I had no idea that the whole incident with Michael led to her agreeing to children. You never told me that!" Chad said in a shocked voice.

Troy smiled slightly. "Yeah, well, I was a little busy for the next couple of weeks after that."

Chad immediately felt the smile wipe off of his face. "TMI, dude. I'm sure if Gabriella remembered everything she would smack you for telling me that."

At that time, the flight attendant came around to do the standard safety check. Chad still had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"So you're telling me that all I need to do to convince Taylor to have kids is to save her from some psycho? Easy as pie, man. Can you be the psycho for me, though? I hear hiring actors can get expensive." Chad asked, looking at his friend.

"Get a life, Chad." Troy rolled his eyes before putting on his headphones and preparing for the flight home, anxious to see his little boy and his wife.

* * *

To say that Gabriella was nervous was an understatement.

Clothes were thrown all over the master bedroom, and the frustrated brunette sat down roughly on the bed, brushing her bangs out of her face before shaking her head in depression.

Why the hell could she not find a freaking outfit to wear?

Okay, yes. It was silly that she was raiding through her entire closet just to find an outfit that would make her look good for Troy. Stupid, even. Because it was going to be three in the morning when he came home and he probably wouldn't even notice what she was wearing because he would be so tired.

Falling back onto the bed, the brunette let out a sigh. For the past two months she had been slowly accepting the fact that she wanted more than just a friendship with Troy. She knew she was falling for him, but needed to keep herself in reality. Troy was not interested in her like that because she wasn't his wife – she wasn't the Gabriella he married.

However, her attempts at grounding herself had failed, because a couple of hours earlier, Gabriella had finally admitted to herself what had been running through her brain for a long time.

She was in love with Troy.

Gabriella couldn't pinpoint the exact moment that it happened, but she knew that what she felt was real. Unable to believe at first that she had fallen in love with a man in four months, the young woman finally accepted that Troy was everything she had dreamed for in a man when she was younger, and knew that he was perfect.

Maybe it was because he made her breakfast on his practice days, or always tried to make her feel comfortable even when he couldn't be. He tried to protect her, and looked at her in a way that made her feel special and important. Even though Troy was in emotional pain because he missed his wife, he was still caring toward this new Gabriella and she was always his top priority.

Gabriella was not only attracted to his wonderful personality, but his looks as well. The way his hair occasionally swept into his eyes, his built body with massive biceps that had been wrapped strongly around her a few times, and his captivating blue eyes that held so much emotion she could hardly think straight when looking into them. Although she had only gotten to see his perfect abs once for a couple of seconds, the brunette constantly found herself fighting the urge to run her hands down Troy's chest. He was incredibly handsome…and hot.

It scared her, because she knew that she was under Troy's power. Whatever he wanted to do with her, she would oblige, because she was sure that it would be impossible to resist the attraction he held for her.

Yes, Gabriella had admitted that she was in love with Troy, but in no way was she ever going to tell them. The young woman didn't care that both of their families and friends were rooting for the couple to reunite. They didn't understand that the entire situation was so difficult.

Glancing around her room, looking for an outfit that was casual but made her look good, she prayed that Troy still had some kind of feelings for her, even if she wasn't his "wife".

She knew it was a long shot, but she couldn't help but hope that maybe one day Troy might see her in a different light.

* * *

After thanking the driver for taking him home that early in the morning, Troy walked with his bags toward his house. As far as he could tell, no lights were on, which made it difficult for the young man to find his house key.

Pausing before he unlocked the door, Troy let his memory take control as he recalled another time when he had been gone for an extended period, and it had taken a toll of both him and Gabriella.

_Walking into the kitchen Troy noticed the candles burning on the table, which was filled with covered dishes. The young man sighed. His flight had been delayed for seven hours because of storms, so instead of coming home at six that evening, he came through the door at two the next morning. _

_Troy dropped the duffel bag he was holding on the floor when he saw his wife sleeping over her place at the table. She was wearing a form-fitting red dress that went along with the formal dinner she had made, obviously hours ago. Troy felt his heart lurch at the fact that she had made him this wonderful meal, spent hours doing it, and he wouldn't be able to appreciate it. _

"_Gabi?" he called softly, walking over to her sleeping form in the table chair. "Baby…" _

_The brunette stirred slightly before lifting her face off of the table. Blinking a few times to adjust her eyes to the light, she turned to find Troy kneeling down next to her. _

"_Troy? Troy!" she exclaimed in a soft voice, throwing her arms around her husband. _

_The young man chuckled as he brought his beautiful wife closer to him and felt her arms contract tightly around his torso. He pulled away after a few seconds to look into her eyes. _

"_I really missed you, honey." He mumbled softly, knowing that his newborn child was sleeping upstairs._

"_I missed you, too. I'm so glad you're home." She said quietly before he lowered his lips onto hers forcefully. _

"_I'm sorry I couldn't enjoy your dinner. Can I heat it up now, though? Is it still good?" Troy offered, but Gabriella shook her head. _

"_It's okay, Troy. I'm just glad you made it home safe. Those storms were really bad and I was worried." _

_Troy smiled. "I love you." He kissed her again quickly, before pulling back to admire her outfit some more. "You look incredible, sweetheart." _

_Gabriella blushed slightly, before reaching up and kissing Troy's neck. _

"_You know, it's the kind of dress that is just begging for me to take it off." He mumbled into her hair with a smile on his face, pulling his wife closer to him. _

"_Hmm…is that so?" Gabriella replied, smiling too as Troy scooped her up and carried her to their bedroom. _

Troy sank to his knees for a moment. All of these memories were tearing at his heart, because he knew walking in the door that a reunion like the ones he had had was not going to happen again. She was probably going to be in bed sleeping, and he was going to go up to the guest bedroom, change into his pajamas, and attempt to fall asleep in a cold bed that was a constant reminder of what he couldn't have anymore.

Prying the door open, Troy walked into the quiet house, attempting to make as little noise as possible. After all, his toddler was surely upstairs in bed at three a.m.

Just as he was about to head up the stairs, Troy noticed a dim light across the house in the living room. Quickly walking down the hallway, the young man emerged into the living room, where he saw his wife curled up on the couch watching an exercise show – one of many that seemed to be on TV this early in the morning.

Troy let his heart clench as he studied the beautiful brunette. She was wearing a pair of his basketball shorts that he had left in the master bedroom closet and a v-neck white tank top that gave a peek to her cleavage. Not to mention the beautiful curls that were flowing down her back.

Damn it! Did she have to look so desirable? This was not making it easy on Troy.

Gabriella's head whipped around when she heard slow footsteps approaching the couch. There, standing in a loose tie and dress suit with bags in hand was Troy. His hair was slightly ruffled, in a sexy way, and his blue eyes studied her cautiously.

He was staring at her with a soft expression, and it took all of Gabriella's power not to run to him that second. She tried to remind herself to keep her cool, and not let Troy in on her feelings for him. The last thing she wanted was for him realize she was in love with him.

Without saying a word, Gabriella turned off the television, got up from the couch, and walked towards Troy, holding out her hand.

Troy's eyes widened in shock as he realized Gabriella wanted to shake his hand. The gesture was like stabbing an icicle into his heart, because it was so cold and unfriendly coming from her.

It hurt him to see that he couldn't even hold her in his arms for a second. The trip away must have done a lot of damage to their new, friendly relationship, because she used to be comfortable at least welcoming him home with a hug.

Troy glanced at the ceiling for a moment, getting control of the liquid that was slowly filling his eyes, before shaking her hand.

Gabriella let go quickly and glanced at the ground. It was really hard for her not to wrap herself in Troy's arms. She needed to get away from him before she did something stupid.

"Welcome home." She murmured with a small smile on her face.

"Thank you." Troy replied softly, trying not to let Gabriella know how much her welcome had hurt him.

Gabriella moved to pick up one of Troy's bags, but he quickly stopped her.

"It's okay. I got it." He said gently, taking them back into his hands before walking with Gabriella towards the stairs, turning off lights as he went.

The quiet atmosphere was too much for the brunette, and she tried to start a conversation. "Congratulations on such a great start to the season." She complimented as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Glancing over at his wife, Troy couldn't help but trace her lips with his eyes. He squeezed his hands extra hard to prevent himself from dropping the bags and kissing her right there. This was more difficult than he thought it would be.

"Thank you. Did you enjoy watching all of the games?" he asked in an informal tone.

"Of course. You're amazing. I had no idea how good you actually were." She muttered in a small voice, blushing slightly when Troy smiled brightly at her.

"Glad you think so. I'm assuming Caleb is asleep?" he asked.

"Yeah. I told him you were coming home tonight and he got all excited. He wanted to wait up for you but I made him go to bed at eight, so I think he's a little mad at me." Gabriella confessed.

"Mad at you?" Troy laughed quietly, still whispering. "There's no way Caleb could be mad at you. The little boy adores his mother."

Carefully opening the door, Troy walked across his son's room to see him sleeping soundly in his little racecar bed. Gabriella stood in the doorway, watching as he bent down to kiss Caleb on the forehead before lightly ruffling his sandy brown hair.

"So…" Troy said, closing the door. "You look really tired. You didn't have to wait up."

"I know, but I wanted to make sure you got home okay." Gabriella confessed, suddenly blushing again.

Gabriella hoped that Troy didn't think she waited up for him because she missed him so much and couldn't wait to see him. Even though that was exactly why she stayed up, she still didn't want him to know.

If he didn't feel the same way, Gabriella couldn't face the rejection, and to continue living in the same house as him would be insanely difficult.

"Well, thank you. You should really go to bed though. Don't worry about waking up early for Caleb tomorrow. I don't have practice until two-thirty, so I can take care of him." Troy said, suddenly realizing how close he was standing to Gabriella. He quickly turned around and walked over to the guest bedroom door, trying to give her some space. After the welcome that he got, Troy was sure she wouldn't be comfortable with the close proximity. "Goodnight."

Gabriella stood there, shocked at Troy's abrupt exit, but quickly put on a neutral face.

She couldn't figure Troy out. Why one moment was he so open with her – like kissing her cheek before he left – and the next so distant and cold? It was like he forgot that she didn't remember who he was, but when he realized that she was the Gabriella who lost her memory, he detached himself and didn't want to be around her.

The thought alone nearly brought the young woman to tears, especially now that she knew she was desperately in love with her husband.

"Goodnight, Troy." She said quietly, entering the master bedroom. After closing her door, she allowed her tears to leak out. All the anxiety of picking out an outfit, hoping for at least a hug from him, and…nothing. God, this was not fair. Why did she have to lose her memory?

Meanwhile Troy stopped before he reached his room and turned around to see that his wife had already closed her door. His heart clenched painfully as he whispered in her direction, "I missed you, baby."

* * *

**I am REALLY REALLY sorry about the lack of updating! I wrote an extra-long chapter to make up for it, and like the top author's note said, I'm finishing the story this summer, so you will have more frequent updates. **

**For those of you who stuck with me on this, ****thank you****. I really do feel horrible, and am trying to improve. **

**Hopefully you liked the chapter. I'm not too sure about it, because I'm really trying to portray the conflicting emotions that Gabriella has, but I don't know if I'm doing a good job. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**

**Wounded Sparrow**

**

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_**Next Chapter:**_

Christmas is right around the corner and our favorite couple goes shopping! What will they get for each other?

A breaking point is reached between Gabriella and Troy


	12. Breaking Point

See? I told you I would be updating more often - compared to last time anyway :) Hopefully the next update will be up sooner than this one was. I hope you like this chapter. If there was any chapter I was nervous about posting, it was this one. I rewrote the last part at least three times.

To tell you the truth, this has been written for a while. I just kept going back and tweaking things, but was never satisfied. Lol. Sorry about the unnecessary wait.

BTW – Sammy55, you are such a sweetheart! Your notes make me smile! Thank you!

**Also, this is really important and hopefully it won't turn anyone away from reading the story – I changed the rating of the fic to M. **

**The entire rating system is kind of confusing to me for some reason, and I decided just to be safe and leave it at M because of the swearing and some content.**

And lastly, thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! They are so sweet and make my day so much better!

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **Breaking Point

**Rating:** **M (I'm changing it just to be safe: mostly because of swear words)**

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

As he had predicted, Troy did not get much sleep that night. Not only was he trying to figure out what could have possibly happened that would deteriorate his relationship with Gabriella, but he also received an early wake up call.

Only four hours after arriving home from his two week trip, Troy was woken up by a pounding on his bedroom door, and shouts of "DADDY!" in a tiny voice.

Immediately recognizing that it was Caleb, Troy sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, still trying to get his brain to come out of its sleep mode. He could hear his son struggle to reach the doorknob, but before the young man could get out of bed to help him, the little boy managed to open the door.

"DADDY!" he cried happily again, running over to the bed and holding his arms out for his father to pick him up.

Troy laughed and reached down to bring his son onto the bed. He gave him a big hug and a kiss on the forehead before setting the toddler in his lap.

"Hey buddy. What are you doing up so early? It's only 6:45. Aren't you tired?" Troy asked in a sleepy voice.

"No. I wanted to see you." Caleb explained, wrapping his arms around Troy's torso. "I missed you, Daddy."

"Aw, buddy. I missed you too. Guess what?" Troy responded.

"What?" Caleb asked in a soft voice, as if it was a secret.

"I brought you back lots of cool stuff!" Troy whispered back, smiling as he saw the elated look on his son's face.

"YAY!" he yelled a little loudly. Troy immediately tried to quiet him down.

"You've got to be quiet, buddy. Mommy's still asleep, remember?" Troy choked out Caleb's name for Gabriella, still confused as to what had happened when he left. He could picture her in their bed, curled up and sleeping alone…it was something he thought about a lot, and it nearly crippled him knowing she was in there every night, not missing him like he was her.

"Oh. Sorry." Caleb said in a whisper, before hugging his father again.

"Alright, bud. You can stay in here, but why don't we go back to sleep for a while. I heard you went to bed later than normal last night." Troy said, desperate to rest on the pillow again.

"But, Daddy!" the toddler whined. Troy shook his head, signaling that he was not giving in to the puppy dog face his son was putting on.

"Nope. Come on, buddy. You need your rest." The young man explained, pulling some covers up around his son. "We can't play basketball tomorrow if you're tired."

"Okay." Caleb's mood improved at the mention of his favorite sport, and he agreed happily before getting himself situated on the pillow next to Troy. The young man smiled at his little toddler and felt powerful warmth from his heart just looking at him. Troy loved his son so much that he was starting to think it was impossible to care for anyone else with the same intensity…except maybe Gabriella.

_Damn it._ He thought. Why did everything always come back to her?

However, Troy never had time to answer the question, because once his head hit the pillow, he immediately fell back into unconsciousness…

…only to be woken up a minute later.

"Daddy?"

Troy couldn't help but let the soft groan escape from his lips as he rolled over to face his son.

"Yeah, buddy. What's up?"

The little boy crawled over into his father's arms again and snuggled up to him. "Why are you in this room? You used to be in Mommy's."

Troy sighed, trying to block the wave of stress that was attempting to flow through him. It was bad enough that he couldn't have his wife, but for his child's life to be affected by her accident? That was the worst possible thing that could ever happen.

"Because…because of…" Troy struggled to find an excuse that would seem logical to his two-year-old. For once, he was wishing that Caleb hadn't inherited Gabriella's intelligence.

The little boy looked at him curiously.

"Because Mommy can't sleep well now that Daddy stays up late to go over basketball stuff. Daddy wanted to be nice and let her sleep so she isn't tired at work." Troy said, knowing that Caleb had no idea how early he went to bed. The young man was also counting on the fact that the boy was too young to remember they hadn't been in separate rooms during his basketball season last year.

Caleb tilted his head a little, making Troy's heart swell once again. "Oh…I thought you were mad at each other."

Troy immediately shook his head and looked into the toddler's eyes. "No, buddy. We're not mad at each other, and this has nothing to do with you, okay? It's just between me and Mommy. We love you so much, buddy. You know that, right?"

Caleb wore a sad expression for a moment, and then looked down at the comforter. "I know, Daddy." He said with tears.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked his toddler, pulling him closer to him so that he could give the little boy a hug.

"I don't like coming into separate bedrooms in the morning. It's confusing." Caleb said before burying his head in his father's shirt.

Troy took in a deep, shaky breath, desperate to keep control of his emotions. It wasn't like he wanted it to be this way. He would give anything to be in his bed with Gabriella, to hold her, to kiss her, to hear her say, "I love you", to call her "baby", to cuddle up with her, to just be with her like the way he used to…

And even the things that Troy had hated doing before, he would give anything to be able to do them with her now… grocery store errands, attending her company Christmas party, visiting her great uncle, outfit shopping…

At least then he could be with her, but now…he had nothing except his little boy. A symbol of his once incredible bond with Gabriella.

Who apparently was very upset at the situation, too.

"I know, Caleb. Just be patient okay. Hopefully things will go back to normal someday." Troy commented wistfully to his son, before finally letting sleep overcome him.

* * *

"Okay, buddy. You really have to let go now so you can start eating your breakfast. We've got to get you to Grandma's house in less than an hour." Troy calmly explained to his toddler, who had latched his little arms around his father's neck.

After an extra hour of sleep, Caleb woke Troy up at 8 a.m., explaining that he was hungry. Knowing that his job as a father was more important than his rest, Troy willingly carried his son downstairs to the kitchen to make him breakfast.

Just as he had encouraged her to do, Gabriella was still asleep in the master bedroom when Troy had begun to make his way downstairs. That was until Caleb struggled in his arms to get down, and then ran into her bedroom, banging the door against the wall. He quickly climbed up on the bed to give her a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Troy watched from the hallway, his heart aching – as usual – when he saw his wife rub her eyes, attempting to wake up. She greeted Caleb excitedly, and wrapped her arms around her little one, kissing him on the forehead before asking if he had woken up Daddy yet.

Caleb's response caused Gabriella to look through the doorway to Troy, whom she now realized was standing in the hallway, watching her. The young man noticed a different expression in Gabriella's eyes for the first few seconds she looked at him. Something he hadn't seen from her for a while. It was…familiar.

_Fuck_. Troy had thought to himself, nearly dropping to the floor as the emotional pain ran through his body. That look….that look…

It was so similar to the ones Gabriella used to give him before the accident that Troy momentarily believed it was real…it was her look of _desire._

She would always look at him that way when she wanted to be in his arms, or at least be near him. It was the look that Troy instantly melted at, and became willing to do whatever she wanted. It was the look that reinforced to Troy that Gabriella loved him.

Temporarily believing that the look was real, but then realizing that it was not the same Gabriella that was staring at him, nearly crippled Troy. The pain of the moment became physical, where breathing was starting to hurt the young man.

"Caleb." He choked out, desperate to get away from his wife in attempt to extinguish the pain running though his body. "Come on, let's get you breakfast."

Those few moments were some of the worst Troy had suffered since the accident. Sure, it reminded him of what he used to have, but it was more than that… it felt _real._ Like she really was in love with him.

And for a few seconds, he believed it.

Cursing himself once more for being so stupid, Troy pulled his son's arms off of his neck and sat him down in his seat at the kitchen table, placing the now cold pancakes in front of him. "Come on, buddy. Eat up."

Caleb decided to obey his father, pouring half the contents of the entire syrup bottle on his plate. Troy rolled his eyes at his two-year-old and turned around to get him a glass of milk when he noticed Gabriella standing in the threshold of the kitchen with a small smile on her face.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude," she said quietly, turning a light shade of red.

Troy immediately shook his head and walked towards the fridge. "You weren't. Don't worry," he comforted kindly before pouring a glass of milk.

Breakfast hadn't been too bad. Gabriella was still acting strangely around Troy, but he refused to let her know how much it bothered him. Desperate to figure out a possible catalyst for this new behavior, the young man had asked his wife about what she had done for the past two weeks, but was only answered with general activities that would not have caused such a new response in her.

His only prediction was that it was a person. Most likely…

_Michael._

If that son-of-a-bitch tried to make a move on his wife again, Troy was not going to be held responsible for his actions. She may not love him like she used to, but Gabriella was still _his,_ and no one was going to take her away.

"Troy?" the young man whipped his head around towards the voice that called his name.

"Are you ready? Caleb's in his car seat and we're already late dropping him off…" Gabriella commented. They had decided before Troy left that Christmas shopping was going to take place on the day after the basketball trip was over. That way Caleb could be out of the house when the parents bought his presents and wrapped them.

Looking at Gabriella for a couple of seconds, Troy allowed his eyes to quickly trace the curves that he missed so much. Sure, it was wrong because she wasn't as comfortable around him anymore, but he couldn't help himself after his episode this morning.

He noticed Gabriella fidgeting uncomfortably with her hands, and immediately stopped. "Yeah. I'm ready. Let's go."

* * *

Christmas shopping had been going surprisingly well according to Gabriella. She had managed to slowly ease back into a somewhat relaxed state with Troy, where she didn't have to worry about blurting out her true feelings for her husband at any second, but things still weren't the same before he left.

The young brunette knew that she had been acting differently around Troy, especially the previous night and that morning. But she couldn't help herself. She looked at Troy in a new light now that she had acknowledged her love for him. He was more attractive, more appealing, and more perfect than she had believed anyone could possibly be. Gabriella became more aware of her actions around him, as she was desperate – even though it was a long shot – that he might feel the same way about her.

The silver shopping cart was filled with numerous items – more than any child could have dreamed of. Gabriella understood that she was contradicting her belief that a child should not be spoiled, but it was too much fun shopping for Caleb. There were so many little toys that would make his eyes light up and she couldn't wait for him to see them.

For some couples, Christmas shopping was a hard thing to do for their young child, because the kid may ask for a lot, but the parents could only afford some of the items.

It was different for Troy and Gabriella, because they were so fortunate to have careers with high salaries. Therefore, Caleb was able to get everything on his wish list and more without a problem. Christmas shopping for him was like going on a mini shopping spree, something Gabriella enjoyed thoroughly.

The two had divided in the store, each taking half of Caleb's wish list to find and picked out other toys they thought he would like. The lengthy process easily took over an hour.

Wheeling the cart up to the checkout aisle, Gabriella began to unload all of the toys she had collected in her basket, including games, puzzles, and activities, onto the conveyor belt.

Just as the last few items were being scanned, Troy showed up behind her with his own cart full of presents.

"Why didn't you tell me you were done?" He asked in a curious tone, giving her a dazzling smile. "Just kidding."

Gabriella glanced at the floor, not knowing what to say. She hated how just being in his presence now caused her to act like a shy little girl.

There was a pause as Troy looked into Gabriella's shopping basket.

"What is that?"

"It's a _Tune in Violin_." Gabriella answered as she peeked at the item on the conveyor belt.

"Are you serious? He's a boy."

"What, Troy? Are you saying that boys can't play the violin? That our son has to play the guitar or drums and can't be in the school band?" Gabriella asked accusingly.

Troy smiled, holding up his hands in surrender. Since that morning, he was trying to be as friendly and outgoing as possible in order to try and get Gabriella to warm up to him again.

"I'm just saying…"

"That will be 127.86." the older man at the cash register noted, and Gabriella opened her wallet and rummaged through it.

"Wait, we have more-" Troy started to say, but stopped when he saw Gabriella hand the man a credit card.

The young brunette noticed her husband's silence and tried to pass it off nonchalantly. She was hoping he wouldn't have the same reaction as he had when it was discovered that she was going back to work. From what she saw in the past few months, however, it probably would be.

Gabriella had visited the bank while Troy was gone to talk about her own bank account. Obviously, she had no idea about any money arrangement between her and Troy. After talking to a financial advisor, the young woman had discovered that she and Troy had one account that they shared, and then she had a separate account that was all her own. It was in that account that all of the money she earned from her job went. This worked well for Gabriella, as she was able to get her own debit card that deducted her own money, so she would no longer feel guilty about using Troy's.

"Wait!" Troy exclaimed, making the cashier stop before he could slide the card. "What are you doing, Gabriella?"

Turning her gaze away from him so she could answer, Gabriella said quietly, "I'm buying Caleb Christmas presents. What's wrong?"

"Gabriella…" Troy let out a frustrated sigh, before walking in front of her to the cashier. "Can you ring up the rest of the items? I'll pay for them all. Sorry about the confusion."

"Troy! Why are you-" Gabriella started, but was cut off.

"Because, Gabriella. I know you get upset at the fact that you are using 'my' money, but it's really _ours_. Why would you pay out of your own money? I have enough to cover it." Troy said in an annoyed tone.

"Because I have a job, and I earn money, too! I can afford to buy my son Christmas gifts, Troy. I can support myself, and I don't need a man to get by! Why do you always-"

"Gabriella," Troy said quietly, placing a hand on her cheek. The gesture, as well as the small smile that was now on Troy's face, immediately shut the brunette up and made her pay attention to how the conversation had taken a complete turn. "You may not remember, but we have had this argument before. The first Christmas we went shopping…"

"Really?" Gabriella asked, surprised. If he was trying to distract her, it was certainly working.

"Yeah. You felt like I underestimated your contribution to the family. But Gabriella, I don't. I swear. I know that you work really hard everyday and earn a salary that any worker right out of college would die for. I'm so proud of you, really." Troy turned around and pulled out his wallet.

"But I also know that you've wanted to buy a place for your mom in Paris. You told me right after we got married that she had always wanted to live there, but after your father died, she felt the need to stay close to you and your family. When I offered to pay for a house there, you turned me down. Gabriella, you may not remember, but you told me that you wanted to buy the house yourself… that doing so would mean a lot to you and your mom."

Gabriella stood quietly, looking at Troy with a confused expression. "So what does that have to do with any of this?"

Troy's expression softened and he ran his hand down her arm. "I'm paying for things so you can save up for your mom's house. Caleb is going to get the presents either way, so please let me do this. They are still going to be from you, hon…Gabriella. I have never considered the money I earn to be just mine. It's always been yours too. So please, let me do this."

Gabriella stared into her husband's sincere blue eyes and felt herself falling even more in love with him – if it was possible. He was the most generous person she had ever met. She tried to keep her facial expressions neutral, hoping not to express to him how much she enjoyed the feeling of his hand on her arm.

"Okay. Thank you." She said quietly, and felt her stomach flip when she felt Troy's arm wrap around her waist to give her a hug.

"Of course."

* * *

"He did? Aw that is so cute!"

Troy laughed at how his wife's voice raised several octaves on the last word of her sentence. The two were currently sitting in family room, wrapping the presents that they had gotten Caleb earlier that day. There were easily over thirty, making each parent feel slightly guilty for spoiling their child.

The awkwardness between the couple was slowly starting to fade away with each passing hour. Troy was trying hard to make her feel comfortable again, and Gabriella was starting to let down the new walls that had been built while he was away.

"Yeah. Caleb just walked right up to the little girl and said she was pretty. I couldn't believe it, but that was when I knew he was going to be popular with the ladies when he grew up." Troy grinned. He had been telling Gabriella all about Caleb's first two years of life that she couldn't remember.

"What was Caleb's first word?" Gabriella asked curiously, finishing the wrapping on one of the last gifts.

Troy looked thoughtful for a moment, but Gabriella could tell he was faking. The man could never forget what his son's first word was.

"Dada." Troy smiled brightly, looking at Gabriella. "I remember that you were the one who first heard it. I was in the middle of basketball practice when you ran onto the court, holding Caleb. We had to stop playing, and I was really confused when you pushed Caleb into my arms and told him to tell me what he said."

Gabriella giggled. "I can't believe I interrupted your basketball practice! Was your coach mad?"

"Cohen?" Troy laughed. "No, he really likes you. Thinks of you as the daughter he never had. The guy is really nice, and I kind of view him as a second father. He was okay with it.

"I remember seeing tears in your eyes, and I couldn't figure out why you were so upset. I thought that maybe something had happened to Caleb, but then he looked at me and said 'Dada'." Troy smiled brightly while he finished wrapping the last present. "I was completely shocked, but it was so amazing."

Gabriella smiled softly at the excited expression on Troy's face. "I wish I could remember that…" she said quietly before standing up to put the wrapped gifts in a large bag.

"I don't think I've asked in a while…" Troy started out cautiously, and by his expression Gabriella could tell that he had heard her mumble.

"What?" she asked gently.

"Have you remembered anything else…besides Taylor and Chad's wedding? You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable discussing it." Troy added hastily, afraid that he may have asked a question that would offend his wife.

Gabriella paused, wondering what exactly she could say. "Well…I don't know if this is common in patients who have been in car collisions, but I remember the accident."

Troy's eyes immediately locked to hers. "You do?" he asked.

Troy grabbed the large bag filled with Caleb's presents and began to walk upstairs with Gabriella. "I guess. I remember it was at the intersection of Third and Lake Street. The light had just turned green and I was starting to move forward when I heard screaming. By the time I looked to the left the car had already hit me."

Troy stared at his wife with a horrified expression as she hid the bag of presents in the master bedroom closet. "Oh my God." He said in shock. "You must have been terrified."

Gabriella shook her head. "I didn't have time to be scared. It happened so fast." The brunette paused for a moment. "What ever happened to the other person? The one who ran the red light? Who was in that car?"

Troy sat next to Gabriella at the foot of the master bed, his gaze locked on the floor. "It was an eighteen-year-old boy. He was late for his first day of work, and he wanted to make the yellow light…He turned out to be okay. The guy hit his head pretty hard too, but no serious memory loss. He broke his leg and hand, but that's it. "

"Oh." Gabriella sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"I remember he was wheeled into the hospital lobby to apologize to me. The guy was such a big Redhawks fan that he was in tears. I've never seen an eighteen-year-old cry like that before. If I wasn't so upset at what he did, I would have felt bad for him."

"Did you accept his apology at least?" Gabriella asked curiously, unable to take her eyes off of Troy's tortured face.

"I understood that he was sorry, but I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him. Gabriella…he nearly killed you. You could have died that day, and I would have never been able to see you again. Caleb would have been without a mother, and my entire life-" Troy stopped for a moment, and Gabriella knew how hard this must have been for him to talk about.

"My entire life," he continued, "would basically have been over." Troy's cheeks suddenly turned red as he glanced at Gabriella's face. He was revealing intense emotions he had for her, and it was embarrassing that she didn't feel the same way.

"I can't… live without you. You make me _so_ happy that I don't know how I would ever survive if you weren't here. Whether you remember me or not…" Troy added quietly.

Gabriella felt her heart explode. Her eyes widened in shock.

She had to have been dreaming.

However, looking into Troy's eyes, she had the biggest revelation since the accident.

Even though she could no longer remember him, Troy still cared for her.

_The new Gabriella._

Sure, maybe he didn't have an intense love for her still, but at least he cared – the way any man would care about a woman he liked, right?

The brunette couldn't help but smile brightly at her husband, who was now looking at her with a confused expression on his face. "I'm glad I made it then." She said, wrapping her arms around him tightly, feeling comfortable enough to bury her face in his chest.

Troy's arms returned the hug fiercely, pulling her closer to him. "Me too, Gabriella. You have no idea…"

* * *

"Can I? Pwease?!?" Caleb climbed onto the couch and looked up at Gabriella with his huge brown eyes, begging her to let him sleep over at one of his friend's houses.

"Well…I don't know." Gabriella couldn't help the uncertainty leak into her voice. Caleb was only two, and for him to be sleeping over at a friend's house…she didn't know if she trusted anyone else to take care of her little boy. "Ask Daddy."

Caleb immediately turned to the other side of the family room to where Troy was sitting in a chair, and unleashed his puppy dog face on his father. Troy laughed and looked at Gabriella with an amused expression.

"So when parenting gets tough, it's suddenly _Daddy's_ job?"

Gabriella giggled, now feeling even more comfortable around Troy. They had reached a new level of understanding earlier that afternoon, and the young woman now realized just how much Troy actually cared about her. The only dilemma she faced was telling him that she felt the same way – just more intensely.

"Not necessarily. I don't know these parents or the kid, though. So I feel like you are more qualified to make a decision on the subject at hand," Gabriella retorted playfully, formulating a scholarly answer.

Troy smiled at her attempt to sound professional. "Timmy, right?"

Caleb nodded his head quickly. "It's his birthday!"

"Well…okay. I think that's fine. Is it okay with his parents?" Troy asked his toddler.

"Yeah. His mommy said it was fine and that we would play lotsa games and draw and color and watch movies and eat ice cream and make a space shuttle and - "

"Okay buddy. It's fine. I'm sure you'll have a good time," Troy cut off his son, smiling at the toddler's rambling.

"YAY! I'll go pack!" Caleb shouted excitedly, leaving the family room and running up the stairs on all fours.

"I guess I'll go help him." Troy sighed before looking at the TV for a moment. Gabriella followed his gaze and studied the scene playing out on the show. The television had been turned on just moments before Caleb burst into the room, so neither parent had had the opportunity to change the channel to something they wanted to watch.

The brunette felt herself blush deeply as the characters on the TV began to peel each other's clothes off. They fell onto the bed and Gabriella swore she saw Troy's hand twitch when the male character slid his hand up the woman's thigh.

It was only a couple more seconds before Gabriella tore her eyes away, just in time to see Troy turn to look at her.

Troy's gaze landed on her eyes and stayed there for an extended period of time. God, he wanted her. So badly he would do anything she said just to have her for one night. It had been pure hell going through four months without her love, and he was desperately trying to forget about it. Sometimes, though, it was hard. Those nights when he craved her were the ones that lasted the longest, because Troy always had to lay in his cold bed, alone, and try to convince himself that one day he might get back together with his wife.

Of course, there was always the other option Troy could seek to satisfy his needs, as one of his teammates pointed out. However, there was no way in hell he was ever going to sleep with anyone but his wife.

"Um…" Gabriella said awkwardly, trying to ease the growing sexual tension in the room. She couldn't deny that it was making her desperate for some kind of touch from Troy. Even just a hand on the cheek or a brush of his fingertips in her hair. Anything.

"Uh, yeah. I'll be upstairs," Troy muttered quickly before leaving the room.

It was only twenty minutes later that the doorbell rang. Gabriella walked towards the front door and found Troy rushing down the stairs with Caleb in one arm and a Bob the Builder duffel bag in the other.

"I got it." He said to her, before setting both his child and the bag down by the front door.

Gabriella retreated to the kitchen, seeking out a late night snack as it was already 6:30 pm. She heard low voices from the front foyer and smiled when her little toddler ran into the room to give her one last hug before he left.

"I love you, Mommy." Caleb said before giving her a kiss on the cheek. Gabriella kissed his forehead.

"I love you too, sweetie. Be good for Timmy's parents okay? And if you ever want to come home, no matter what time it is, just ask the parents to call me or Daddy and we'll come get you, okay?" Gabriella hugged Caleb tightly once more before setting him down so he could run off to the front door.

Not even a minute later, Troy rushed into the kitchen, his eyes scanning the room quickly.

"Have you seen Caleb's jacket? It's kind of cold out tonight." He asked, checking the storage closet next to the kitchen.

"Well, I would assume it would be cold…it's December nineteenth, Troy." Gabriella rolled her eyes at her husband's obvious statement.

Troy blushed brightly, turning around from the coat closet to face her. "Sorry. Do you know where it is though?"

Gabriella pointed to the very closet he was looking through. "Look harder." She smiled.

Watching Troy struggle to push aside all of the bulky jackets, Gabriella shook her head and walked over to him to help. Just when she reached him, Troy found the little blue jacket and whipped around, colliding with the brunette.

"Oh, God. Gabriella, I'm so sor…" Troy began but couldn't finish his sentence, as his mind was occupied with other thoughts – like the fact that his wife's body was pushed against his at the moment, or how neither of them was pulling away.

Gabriella couldn't move. Her mind demanded that she step away from Troy and avoid the awkwardness that would come after this encounter, but her body refused. She hated to admit it, but being this close to Troy was...God, she couldn't even think right now.

"Thanks." The brunette was caught off guard by Troy's husky tone. It immediately caused Gabriella to look up into the bright ultramarine eyes that were darkening with each passing second. In order to stabilize herself, Gabriella placed a daring hand on Troy's chest, feeling the muscles ripple beneath her touch.

Suddenly, Troy was gone. Gabriella retreated back to the kitchen counter in a trance, not knowing what had just happened between them. A harsh wave of reality swept through her moments later, and the trickle of a tear followed.

She had been sure. _So sure_ that he felt the same way about her as she did about him…at least a little. What had happened? Did he change his mind once she had touched him? Did he believe that this new Gabriella was never going to be as good as the old one was?

Hearing the front door shut, and footsteps grow closer to the kitchen, the young brunette turned to face the doorway, knowing that whatever had just happened between them needed to be discussed. This wasn't something that could be ignored. She was tired to acting shy, feeling bad, and being miserable. Tonight was going to end any confusion that existed between the couple.

Gabriella stood there, even though she was so scared of the possibility of rejection that tears were threatening to flood her eyes.

Troy stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes immediately locking on hers as if she was some sort of target. The tension in the air was so thick that Gabriella found herself unable to breathe in fear that some explosion might happen.

Across the room, she saw Troy take a shaky breath, his eyes now a new dark blue color that she had never seen before.

"Gabriella…" Troy muttered, and the young brunette shifted nervously under his gaze sweeping across her body from the other side of the room.

And then…the breaking point was reached.

Before she could blink, Troy had ripped his shirt off and threw it on the floor beside him as he quickly walked toward her. She ran to meet him half way and lifted her arms so he could remove her blouse.

It a matter of seconds, the one thing that Gabriella had wished for finally came true…

Troy's lips lowered onto hers as he lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. The kiss was intoxicating. His lips pushed urgently onto hers and his hold on her brought her as close to him as possible. She felt her back hit a wall and smiled internally as she wrapped her arms tighter around her husband.

"Mmm…Gabi" Troy whispered, moving his face to nip at her neck. Gabriella let out a deep sigh, and suddenly realized that Troy knew exactly where to touch her in order to make her give in. That scared her…

…and excited her at the same time.

She felt herself grow weak under Troy's grip, willing to do whatever he wanted. She could sense his desperation at he tried to bring her as close to him as possible. It was insane how much his touch brought ripples of pleasure surging through her body. The feelings she was experiencing in that moment were nearly too much to handle. After his lips left her collarbone, he brought his face close to her ear.

"Do you want to..." he trailed off, taking in deep breaths. Gabriella could feel his need for her, and decided not to deny him, knowing that it had been a long time since Troy had gotten to touch her like this.

"Upstairs…" her breathless voice muttered as she pulled his face back to meet her lips once again.

Troy wasted no time in peeling her from the wall and running toward the stairs. They both stumbled up, trying to keep their lips attached to each other until Troy finally pushed the master bedroom door open and they both fell onto the bed.

As he gazed down at the brunette below him, Troy couldn't help but feel the need in him grow even more. It had been four months. Four long months since he had her, and he needed her so much.

Sure, this was completely unexpected and Troy was still in shock that she hadn't slapped him yet, but it felt so damn good that he didn't care what was right and what was wrong anymore. All he cared about was the affection that he could now tell Gabriella held for him, and how she was pressing her lips to his neck in a sensual manner that completely turned him on.

His hands trailed down to her waist and he grabbed her hips, beginning to draw tiny circles on the exposed skin while he buried his face in her beautiful curls. She pulled her head back to connect their lips again, and Troy let out an involuntary groan from the feeling of her skin on his.

Gabriella couldn't ever remember feeling the desire she was experiencing at that moment. Troy's muscular arms had caged her in tightly against his body and she needed to be closer than that. Feeling the weight of him on top of her felt like a fantasy, and she struggled to keep her consciousness as he pressed his lips urgently to hers over and over again.

Gabriella attempted to take things further by slipping her fingers underneath the band of his basketball shorts. Troy reluctantly detached his lips from her skin and helped her pull them off before resuming his kisses. Gabriella let out a moan, unable to contain the feeling of ecstasy that was sweeping through her body at the moment.

"Gabi…shit! This…I…you're…incredible." Troy's praise brought Gabriella over the edge, and she let herself give in to something she had wanted for so long, not thinking about the consequences or what was going to happen in the morning.

She didn't care that it was happening fast, or that she only knew this man for four months. What she realized was that she was in love with him, and there was no other place she would rather be than right here in his arms.

Reaching up to connect their lips once more, Gabriella found herself tracing the muscles on Troy's bare back, feeling them ripple underneath her.

"Are you sure?" Troy looked up at her, asking carefully if she wanted to go any further.

"Yes," She answered immediately, smiling brightly at the elated looked on his face before pulling his lips back to hers.

It was in that moment he said the words that made Gabriella's heart flutter and then stop - something she had never heard him say before:

"I love you so much."

* * *

Okay…so I'm really nervous about posting this chapter. It's been revised a billion times and I'm still not satisfied. I really hope that you guys liked it…ugh. This is killing me! :)

Thanks for reading! I hope this didn't seem too fast for you guys… I don't know. Hopefully it wasn't too terrible.

Wounded Sparrow


	13. Was It Real?

**I'm happy that a lot of you liked the last chapter! I was really worried about it.**

**Here's the next one - yeah… took a while, and for that I am so so so sorry (more apologies are at the bottom of the page!) It's crazy how busy senior year can be with college apps and sports and stupid AP classes.**

**I'm not too fond of this chapter, but hopefully it doesn't disappoint.**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: Was it Real?**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

It wasn't the bright sunlight that made Troy jump out of bed the next morning. Nor was it the sound of cars peeling out of the neighborhood as people drove to work. It was definitely not Caleb, as he was sleeping over at Timmy's, and it couldn't have been the alarm clock, because Troy wasn't even in the guest bedroom…

_He wasn't in the guest bedroom._

That realization alone caused the young man to sit up in bed, with memories of the night before flooding his mind at lightning speed.

_He had sex with Gabriella._

The most fucking amazing sex he had had in his life.

Troy couldn't believe how much being deprived of something made it so much better. Sure, sex with Gabriella before the accident had been mind-blowing too, but because he had just gone four months without it, Troy had forgotten how good it really was.

It wasn't only the sex, though. Afterwards was more than Troy ever predicted, too. Gabriella hadn't run from the room like he expected her to. Instead, she pulled herself close to him and laid her head on his chest, snuggling into him as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

Now, at 8 o'clock in the morning, Troy leaned on an elbow and stared at the sleeping beauty that was lying next to him. She was clutching a pillow between her hands and was pressed close to Troy's chest. The heat from her body warmed Troy to the core, and he smiled in contentment. This was the first moment since the accident that Troy felt complete and happy.

His hand reached out to brush her cheek lightly, and he couldn't help but give her a kiss on the cheek that wasn't buried in her pillow.

Gabriella let out a sigh and moved around a little bit, moving herself closer to Troy than before. The young man smiled brightly at his sleeping wife and pulled her even closer to his body, completely relaxing as he lay in bed with Gabriella. He tucked his face into her beautiful brown curls and breathed deeply, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo. This was heaven. Just being here, in this moment, was more than Troy could have ever hoped for after the accident.

The basketball star drifted in and out of sleep, and every time he was awake he admired his wife, thanking the heavens for reuniting him with her. Glancing over at the bedside clock, Troy was shocked to see that an hour had passed. He had to meet his parents for and early lunch at 11 and didn't want to be late. And, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was kind of afraid to face Gabriella after their intimate night. What if she thought the sex was horrible? Or worse, what if she wished she had never slept with him?

Quietly, in order not to wake her, Troy leaned down and gave Gabriella a quick kiss on the forehead before pulling himself away and quietly slipping out of the bed. He put on his boxers and grabbed his other clothes that had been thrown around the room before leaving Gabriella to sleep.

The doubts returned as Troy made his way to the guest bedroom. What would happen if she didn't want it? All of their progress would be thrown out the window, and he would be crushed. If Gabriella didn't like the sex, it meant that she wasn't interested in him. Troy didn't know if he could deal with that kind of rejection – especially coming from the woman that he loved.

What if she left? What if the sex was so bad that Gabriella decided to remove herself from Troy's life? The young man went into panic mode as the scenarios started flooding his brain.

What if Gabriella ran away and took Caleb? What if she hurt herself trying to get away from him? What would happen if she showed up in front of the entire basketball team during his game against the Boston Celtics that night and told him that he wasn't good enough for her, both as a husband and as a sexual partner? Troy had only been with two girls in his entire life, just as Gabriella had only been with two guys, so neither was very experienced, but Troy and Gabriella had been sleeping together since they were freshmen in college. Every time was amazing, and Troy couldn't imagine that Gabriella thought the sex was bad when it was so incredible to him. Oh, God. This was torture.

Troy quickly showered, giving his mind a break from the pessimistic thoughts for a moment and let himself think about the previous night. He remembered how shy Gabriella had been at first, obviously not knowing or remembering anything about what he liked or wanted from sex with her. She had kissed him softly in the beginning, but then as they gradually got more comfortable with each other, she began to let her desperation and need for him show, clawing at his back with each second that passed.

Troy knew the turning point had been when he whispered that he loved her. She immediately pulled back from him and stared at him with a shocked expression. She didn't return the words, and Troy hadn't expected it. Gabriella simply stared at Troy for a moment before leaning up to kiss him soundly, pulling him closer to her.

In that instant, Troy had truly believed that Gabriella cared about him. But this morning it was almost as if every thought he had last night had been a result of the high he felt when he was with Gabriella. Now, staring at himself in the mirror, Troy was beginning to consider the reality of the situation. He and Gabriella had jumped straight to sex. No first kiss, no first date, not even sharing a bed together. Of course, jumping straight to sex felt natural to Troy, as he still remembered his wife and all of the things they had been through – the first date, the first kiss, and even their first time during their freshman year in college.

But Gabriella didn't remember all of that. To her, it would be like they just jumped to sex. With this new relationship between him and Gabriella so fragile, Troy wanted to make sure that it wasn't just about the physical part – that he and Gabriella didn't just become sex buddies. He wanted the emotional part as well, possibly even more than the physical part. Gabriella wasn't just his wife, but she was what his entire life revolved around. She had given him Caleb – another thing around which his life revolved. Everything Troy did was for those two. If he had to give up basketball forever in order to keep them in his life, he would do it in a heartbeat

After throwing on a pair of gym shorts and a Redhawks t-shirt, Troy walked back across the hallway and peeked into the master bedroom. Gabriella was still lying peacefully on the bed, clutching at her pillow. Troy quietly moved into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, admiring his wife for a moment. He knew that this could very well be the last time he could ever be with her like this if she decided he wasn't good enough for her.

Troy debated whether or not to leave her a note. Something simple, like - _at lunch with my parents_ or _be back soon._ Maybe even _Remember to pick up Caleb from Timmy's_. Troy figured he could choose any one of those to put on a piece of paper, but he knew deep down what he really wanted to write:

_Gabriella,_

_I hate to leave you alone in bed this morning, but I promised my parents I'd have lunch with them today and I couldn't stand to wake you. Have a good day at work and feel free to call me if you need anything. _

_I can't describe to you how much last night meant to me. You are amazing and I feel so blessed to have you in my life. I love you so much, and I hope that we can talk about what this all means for us later tonight after my game. _

_Love, Troy_

Of course, Troy felt like an idiot even debating whether or not to write Gabriella a note. What if she woke up and regretted everything that had happened the previous night? Then Troy would feel like a fool for believing that it had meant something to her. That couldn't happen. Troy wouldn't leave a note… he would just leave it up to the fates.

Glancing at the bedside clock, Troy realized that it was already ten-fifteen, and he leaned down to gently kiss Gabriella's cheek and nuzzle his nose with hers before he stood up and left for lunch, leaving his heart behind in the master bedroom.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the windows and brightened the master bedroom of the Bolton household. The young brunette in the large bed shifted slightly as her mind registered that it was time to get up and start the day. She stretched briefly, enjoying the feeling of the covers on her bare skin…

Gabriella shot out of bed, frantically grabbing at the sheet in front of her to cover up her naked chest. She turned her head to look at the other side of the bed, expecting to find Troy sleeping there.

To her surprise, he wasn't in the bed.

Gabriella's mind automatically went into panic mode.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Damn it, Gabriella. Why did you let your hormones get in the way?" the brunette cursed as she slid out of bed and started collecting her clothes around the room.

For ten seconds she had believed that it was real. That Troy was lying beside her and she could snuggle up in his arms and fall back asleep. Tears filled Gabriella's eyes as her mind refused to stop thinking about what Troy's absence could possibly mean.

He had said he loved her. She knew that much. He really cared about her. Had mentioned that he couldn't live without her, whether she remembered him or not. Last night had been amazing, even Troy had said so after they had finished making love. His absence couldn't mean that he hadn't wanted it, right?

Gabriella let her mind wander to the previous night. She had been elated to hear Troy say that he loved her. In the heat of the moment, though, she never really considered if he was saying that he loved this new Gabriella or the old one. She hated having to decipher that. She just wished that when Troy would say things like that to her, she would know that he meant it, and that it was directed at her, not at the person she was before the accident.

Well, regardless of whether or not he meant what he said or what happened last night, Gabriella couldn't deny how amazing it had been. She didn't remember ever having sex with Troy, although she obviously did if they were married and she had a child with him, but everything felt natural the previous night. Even though she was terrified that she wouldn't please Troy, after a while, she began to almost fall into a natural rhythm with him that felt entirely normal.

Although Gabriella had wanted last night to happen for a long time, she never imagined it would occur so quickly. Last night was like going from 0 to 60 in a second. It made Gabriella nervous, but Troy had made it seem so natural that it only took a couple of minutes to feel completely comfortable with him. He had whispered encouraging words to her the entire time, always asking if she was okay, followed by words of love.

And his body! It should have been put in a museum, because a body like that only comes along once in a blue moon. Gabriella couldn't even believe that he was hers. That body was hers. The feeling of her being wrapped in his muscular arms was addicting, and she loved how protected she felt when his hands were gripping her hips or when his weight was pressed against her. She had felt so happy last night. It was crazy how only one person could do that to her…

…and how one person could take away that happiness.

Gabriella looked at her bedside clock. Eleven am. That gave her just enough time to get ready for the day, pick up Caleb from Timmy's house, and then head into work at one. Gabriella had adopted a flexible schedule on Wednesday's because it was normally the day she would schedule her doctor's visits. Being able to work a half-day on Wednesdays was a nice perk for her when she didn't have an appointment to go to.

Pushing all thoughts of Troy out of her head for the time being, Gabriella rushed into her closet and started dressing for the day. She was still confused about what last night meant to Troy, but one thing was for sure – today was going to make or break her.

* * *

"Troy, what's the matter? You've been on edge ever since you got here." Lucille commented, sipping her tea as she studied her son across the table. He was checking his cell phone for what seemed like the hundredth time since sitting down.

"Sorry. Just seeing if anyone called." Troy tucked his phone back into his pocket and looked up at his mom. The young man's mind simply would not leave the brunette beauty he left sleeping in his bed.

"Well, we just wanted to catch up with how you were doing." Lucille commented quickly in order to engage Troy in a conversation.

"Actually, your mom just wanted to catch up with how you are Gabriella are doing. I wanted to talk to you about your game against the Suns. I have never seen you cause another team that many turnovers - _ever_. You were just _on_ that night, able to read every pass and anticipate the next move. Good to see what I taught you is still in your head, son." Jack said animatedly.

"Oh, please. All you guys ever talk about is basketball." Lucille interjected. Troy quickly put a hand over his mouth to hide the smirk that was forming on his face.

"But, Lucille he just…" Jack trailed off as he noticed the look on his wife's face. "Fine. How are things with Gabriella?" the man said in a dejected tone.

Troy quickly forced a blank, uninterested expression on his face, even though inside he was flying higher than he had ever jumped in his life. "Things are okay. We're making progress, you know, the usual."

Lucille stared at her son, her mother's intuition telling her that Troy was lying. The young man stared down at the table, while one of his hands came up to scratch the back of his neck nervously. Yup, he was lying all right.

"What happened between you two?" Lucille asked excitedly. Troy's uncomfortable mannerisms told her it was something big. "Did she remember you? Did you finally kiss her? Tell me!"

Jack snorted, almost spitting out his drink. "Jesus, Lucille. You're like a little kid getting juicy gossip."

The woman quickly shot her husband another look, "Aren't you interested in how your son's love life is? How would you feel if I got into a car accident and couldn't remember who you were or that I loved you? What if you didn't get any affection from me for almost half a year, huh? How would you feel?"

Jack leaned down to take another sip of his soda, but as he brought the cup to his lips he quietly muttered, "Grateful."

Lucille's mouth dropped open as she overheard Jack's comment.

On the other side of the table Troy was enjoying the distraction that his father created. He really wasn't too comfortable with answering his mom's question; even if he was so happy he wanted to shout it to the world.

Even though his parents were "arguing", you could hardly call it that. It was comforting for Troy to know that they were never going to get divorced. Even though Jack teased Lucille all the time, he loved her more than anything in the world, well… anything but basketball maybe. And even though Lucille got fed up with Jack's obsession with the sport, she still looked at him with the same expression of adoration every time Troy had seen them together.

It was almost painful for Troy to witness the unspoken affection between his parents. He and Gabriella had been that happy once, too. Troy's mind floated back to the previous night in attempt to ease his loneliness. There was still a chance that he and Gabriella could be together that way again. His eyes closed briefly as he remembered the way her hand had traced imaginary shapes against his chest, and how –

"So, Troy. What happened?"

The basketball star immediately opened his eyes to meet the inquiring stare of his mother. Shit. He thought she had forgotten.

"Nothing, Mom. Really. She didn't remember me or anything." Troy muttered, looking back down at the table.

"Well, then, did you kiss? Come on, Troy something must have happened. Normally you would tell me in an exasperated tone how frustrated you are that your relationship is going nowhere, but today you say it's just 'the usual'? What happened?" Lucille pried, lowering her voice as the waiter stopped by the table to set down their meals.

"Mom," Troy sank a little lower in his seat, "I'm not really comfortable talking about this stuff with you…"

"Uh-oh. Wrong thing to say, buddy." Jack whispered before digging in to his meal.

Lucille stared Troy down to the point where the young man wished desperately that he could run out of the restaurant.

"How can you not be comfortable discussing this with your parents? It's a special circumstance. And honey, we know you have done stuff with Gabriella prior to the accident anyway. You're married, and have a child for crying out loud. Just because you don't say it doesn't mean we don't know it." Lucille commented in an awestruck tone.

"Fine, Mom. We kissed." Troy gave in. Even though it was weird that he was discussing this with his parents, Troy was reaching the point where he needed someone to talk to. He wanted to let anyone know that he and his love were back together…hopefully.

Lucille squealed with a huge smile on her face. "Yay! Aw, honey. That's great! So you two are getting closer?"

Troy smirked. "You could say that."

* * *

"Sweetheart, I know. But I'm only going to be working for four hours. Then we can go home, get changed, and go see Daddy. Okay?"

Caleb stared up at his mother with sad eyes, effectively making her feel horrible for leaving him in the company's daycare center. "Fine, Mommy."

Gabriella sank to her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around her little boy before gently ruffling his sandy brown hair. She didn't think it was possible to love Caleb anymore than she did, but when she saw her son that morning come running out of Timmy's house to give her a huge hug, her love for him grew tenfold. Maybe it was because she missed him the previous night, or that he was just growing on her each and every day they were together.

Sure, those two reasons seemed valid. But Gabriella knew the main reason why she had seen Caleb in what seemed like a new light that morning.

After having sex with Troy, Gabriella felt a huge connection to him. Seeing their son, who looked just like her husband, run at her with open arms reminded her that he was theirs. He was Troy's son that she had given to him. Just to be reminded of that made Gabriella's heart beat unsteadily.

"I love you, sweetie. So much. Be good for Bailey, okay? No causing trouble."

Gabriella rushed down the hall and into her office in record time. She quickly opened all of her emails and scanned through them before setting to work. It astounded her how easy this job was, especially after forgetting everything about who she was from the accident. She was lucky that Steven had given her this job back, and that he trusted she would be as good at it now as she was before. Public relations just clicked for Gabriella. All of the writing, contacting personnel, helping the company out with press releases… it was like a second nature to the young brunette.

Three hours into her work, a knock was heard on her office door.

"Gabriella?"

Gabriella's head shot up from her computer to see the company owner Michael standing in her doorway. Even though he was very nice to her, she still got a creepy vibe from him every time he was around.

"Someone interrupted our conference meeting next door looking for you." Michael smiled, pointing towards his hip where Gabriella could see the top of Caleb's head.

"Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry Michael. Caleb, I told you not to cause trouble!" Gabriella rushed over to her toddler and picked him up quickly. "I can't believe he interrupted the meeting next door!"

Michael smiled for almost too long before addressing what Gabriella had said. "It's fine. All of the executives were doting on him. He's a cute kid."

Gabriella grinned, giving her son a kiss on the forehead. "I wish I could say it's because of me, but his looks are all thanks to his father."

The young woman was surprised to see Michael's smile turn into a grimace before he started talking again. "I'm going to need you to stay a little later tonight. Just until six, only an hour later. I told Steven that you both need to go over the media for the Detroit auto show. I need it finalized by tomorrow morning."

Gabriella's eyebrows rose and she couldn't help the look of shock that crossed her face. "What? I thought that was due on Friday morning? Not tomorrow…"

Michael took another step inside the office and shut the door behind him. Gabriella felt Caleb tuck his head into the crevice of her neck and was immediately flooded with memories of the previous night.

She closed her eyes briefly as her mind recalled Troy's lips on her neck and the groan he let out when he reached her collarbone. She could almost feel his hand running up her thigh…

"Well I'm going to need it tomorrow." Michael crossed his arms, waiting for her to respond.

"Um…Troy's game starts at seven. I really need to -"

"Sorry, Gabriella. You have to stay until six." Michael ended the conversation and left the room without another word.

Caleb lifted his head from Gabriella shoulder and stared at her curiously. "Does this mean I don't get to see Daddy?"

Gabriella's heart did a flip at the mention of Troy. "You're still going to see him, just a little later than expected, honey."

Caleb's bottom lip began to tremble and Gabriella quickly kissed her son on the cheek. "Don't cry, sweetie. You'll still see Daddy play tonight."

"I want to see Daddy now…I miss him." Caleb's tears began to roll down his face and Gabriella's heart broke at the sight of them.

She carried her toddler over to her desk and searched for her cell phone in her purse. She handed the device to Caleb after speed dialing Troy.

"Here you go, baby. You can talk to Daddy and tell him how much you miss him, okay?" Gabriella cooed to her young son.

Caleb took the phone with a smile and used both hands to hold it to his small ear. Gabriella could easily hear the ringing of the phone.

"_Hello?" _

Just hearing Troy's voice through the phone made Gabriella's stomach clench. How had she gone from falling in love with him to _incredibly_ in love with him in one night?

"DADDY!" Caleb screeched into the phone, a huge smile erupting on his face.

"_Caleb? Hey buddy how are you doing? Did you have a good time at Timmy's last night?"_

"Yeah! We played lotsa fun games!" Caleb said excitedly.

"_That's good, Caleb. Did…Mommy give you her phone to call?"_

Gabriella immediately picked up on Troy's hesitation in saying Caleb's name for her. Her giddy attitude crashed through the floor.

"Yeah. She has to work extra late tonight, and I _REALLY_ miss you." Caleb squirmed a little bit on Gabriella lap to get more comfortable.

"_I miss you too, bud. If Mommy's working late are you still coming to the basketball game tonight?"_

Caleb nodded to himself before saying, "Yup…"

The little boy trailed off and his lip began to tremble. Gabriella shook her head at him, trying to tell him not to cry but the toddler burst into tears and wept into the phone.

"I miss you so much, Daddy. I love you…"

"_Aw, Caleb don't cry. You'll see me play basketball later and I'll be at home to tuck you in tonight. Please don't cry, buddy. Mommy's there with you, right? Be good for her, okay? I have to go now Caleb, but I love you too and can't wait to see you tonight. Alright, buddy? Be strong."_

Caleb sniffled, grabbing some of Gabriella blouse in his tiny fist. "Okay. Bye Daddy."

The toddler hung up the phone and handed it to Gabriella before burying his head in her stomach. She lightly ruffled his hair and thought about how great of a father Troy was. It was already quarter to 5, so he must have been at the stadium for the warm-up practice. Gabriella was so excited about tonight, because she had never actually seen him play live in front of her.

Caleb twisted in Gabriella's lap a little bit. Gabriella kissed him on the cheek before getting back to work as her son slept peacefully in her lap.

* * *

"Nice shot, Bolton! I haven't seen you do that all season!"

Troy high-fived Chad as he ran back down the court. The nice drive down the lane that ended with a sweet dunk gave him even more energy than he already had.

The entire team was shocked with Troy's performance during that night's pre-game practice. In the beginning of the season Troy had played decent – still better than most players in the NBA – but not at the phenomenal level he was known for.

Now, on what seemed to be a random Wednesday to his teammates, the real Troy was back.

Troy noticed it too. He was so much more confident and willing to take chances on plays and shots. His adrenaline was pumping big time, and he couldn't wait to get back on the court tonight and outplay the Celtics.

Troy couldn't believe that having sex could make him feel and play this good. Sure, Troy was a guy, and sex was just something he was up for almost 24/7, but because he had been deprived of it for so long he felt like a new person that day – powerful, almost.

"Dude, what the hell is up with you?" Chad asked him later in the Redhawk's locker room. "You look like you just got laid."

Troy's head snapped up and his eyes met his best friend's. Chad's eyes widened as he stared back at Troy and the forward's mouth dropped open.

"Oh…my…God. You didn't!" Chad whispered as he immediately plopped down next to Troy on the bench he was sitting on. "You and Gabriella had sex!?!"

Troy couldn't keep it in anymore. He needed to tell someone, and because Chad had already guessed it couldn't hurt to confide in his best friend, could it?

"Uh…yeah. Last night." Troy smiled.

"HOLY SHIT! That's huge, dude!" Chad slapped Troy on the back. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know, man. It just…did. It was perfect, though. And…God it felt so good." Troy closed his eyes and tilted his head back.

"I bet. I don't think I could go all that time without sex. I don't even want to imagine it." Chad shivered. "So you guys are officially, you know, 'back together' now?"

The two friends followed the team out of the locker room and into the tunnel that led to the court.

"I don't know. We haven't gotten a chance to discuss it, yet. I'm just praying to God that I'm not sleeping alone tonight." Troy whispered.

Chad smiled, patting his friend on the back. "Knowing you and Gabriella, there is no way that's going to happen."

* * *

She should've known that real life is always better than television.

Gabriella held on tightly to the little boy in her lap as her eyes focused on the game before her. Although she wasn't much of an athlete, Gabriella wasn't ignorant. She understood the basic rules of basketball. Watching the ten men in front of her run up and down the court, fighting for a chance to put the basketball in the basket was fascinating. The plays they ran, the dribbling, the hand-eye coordination. These guys were truly pros at what they were doing.

"Nice shot Chad!" Taylor screamed as her husband made a three-pointer from the top of the key. Gabriella noticed that Chad was really good, too. He was a starting forward and took a lot of shots from the block.

Chad's three-pointer pushed the Redhawks up to 82, but the Celtics had 96 points. There was still enough time in the fourth quarter to make a comeback, but it wasn't looking good for the Redhawks. Every shot the Celtics took seemed to fall right in the hoop. There shooting percentage was around 62%, which was phenomenal compared to the 48% of the Redhawks.

Gabriella continued to watch as Matt Kramer, another Redhawks player, fouled Ray Allen on the Celtics as he was taking a two-point shot in the lane.

"What happens if the Redhawks lose this game, Tay?" Gabriella leaned over towards her friend. The two, plus Caleb, were sitting a couple rows back from the courtside seats on the opposite side of where the players' benches were. It was a great spot, because the girls could see everything clearly without anyone blocking their way.

"They aren't undefeated anymore. One game is not that big of deal, especially against the Celtics. They're a pretty good team." Taylor explained.

As soon as the Celtics player made his first free-throw, a buzzer sounded and the crowd suddenly went wild with cheers. Gabriella looked up from wiping the drool off Caleb's shirt to find that Troy was taking off his warm-up long sleeve shirt and running out onto the court.

It was almost surreal to Gabriella when she first entered the stadium at ten minutes to seven. Immediately, staring her right in the face was a huge banner of the Redhawks team, with Troy standing front and center, and Chad just to his left. She had whipped her head around to comment on it to Taylor but was suddenly distracted by the number of people wearing Troy's jersey.

"It's a bit odd, I know. But you get used to it after a while." Taylor had whispered in Gabriella's ear. "Now come on, we only have a couple of minutes to get seated before the game starts, and this little cutie is dying to see his daddy play."

Taylor picked up Caleb from where he was standing and kissed him on the cheek. Gabriella smiled as her toddler gave his aunt Taylor a kiss. He looked absolutely adorable tonight. Taylor had come over to the house around six thirty to pick up Gabriella and Caleb, but first rummaged through Caleb's closet and grabbed a mini Redhawks jersey for him to wear. It had Troy's number on the front and where it would have said "Bolton" on the back, it said "Daddy". Gabriella couldn't help but let out an "AW!" at the sight of her little boy.

"I had no idea Caleb had that!" Gabriella had exclaimed as they got into the car.

Taylor laughed, "I think you had that made for Caleb for his second birthday. I remember being over there with Chad, Troy's parents, and you mom. He was so excited when he saw the jersey! It was definitely cute. But…" Taylor trailed off with a smile.

Gabriella immediately turned from watching Caleb in the rearview mirror to studying her best friend. "But what?"

"I just think Troy's reaction to that was better, that's all." Taylor shrugged.

"What was Troy's reaction?" Gabriella was now intensely curious.

"Well, when he saw the jersey, he immediately turned to you and gave you the most devoted look I'd ever seen. He grabbed you by the waist and pulled you to him for a long kiss, and little Caleb was so excited he didn't even notice." Taylor laughed before turning into the arena parking lot. "Troy was so thrilled that you did that. When we all went out to dinner that night he asked if you could get a custom jersey made that said 'Mrs. Bolton' on the back."

Gabriella giggled, but that same feeling of longing that had been with her all day arose again. "That's cute." She said softly.

After the girls parked and took Caleb out of his car seat, they trudged along with all of the other Redhawks fans to the arena entrance. Taylor could sense by the way Gabriella was fidgeting that something was up.

"Are you okay?" Taylor whispered into Gabriella's ear as she handed in her tickets.

"Yeah, fine." The brunette shifted Caleb on her hip slightly and refused to look at her friend.

"Okay, what happened with you and Troy?" Taylor questioned bluntly, and in a somewhat loud voice. Gabriella's eyes widened as she hurried to quiet her friend.

"Nothing…well... can we just talk about this later? Please?"

Taylor smiled brightly. "Only if you promise to talk."

Now, watching Troy was almost too much for Gabriella. She had been tortured all evening by seeing him but not being able to talk to him. The way he sweat in his jersey, his intensely concentrated look, the way his biceps flexed…

And Troy had been amazing tonight. Although the rest of the team's shooting percentage was down, Troy's was up around 76% - he was just on fire. Gabriella had never seen him play like this.

When she first saw him walk on the court, her stomach clenched so tightly that she thought she was going to have to leave. Troy had been walking towards the center of the court and he had looked into the stands and caught Gabriella's eye. Her breath had hitched and doubt began to flow through her mind. He had left her in bed alone this morning…for a reason. She just hoped it wasn't because he regretted what they did.

The rest of the game was exciting for the entire crowd. Troy managed to get on a 12-2 scoring run in three minutes, which put the Redhawks at 94 to 98 with thirty seconds to go. The entire crowd was standing up in anticipation.

With twenty seconds to go, Chad stole the ball and popped up a three pointer from the corner, sinking the shot with ease. The crowd erupted and Taylor jumped up and down in excitement.

"YEAH, CHAD! I LOVE YOU BABY!"

Gabriella giggled at how into the game Taylor was. But there was no denying that Gabriella was just as into it. With four seconds to go, Matt Kramer got the rebound off a missed Celtic's shot and tore down the court, lobbing the pass high into the air.

Gabriella's heart stopped for a moment as she realized the pass was too high for anyone to get, and the ball wasn't going to make it into the hoop. What seemed like out of nowhere, Troy launched himself into the air, caught the pass and slammed it into the hoop.

The buzzer sounded just after the made shot and the crowd went crazy. The Redhawks had beaten the Celtics by one point, and the kind of comeback they had was rare.

The team was jumping up and down on the court, each one patting Troy on the back for his last minute dunk. While other spectators began to leave the stadium, Gabriella and Taylor stayed in their seats and watched as their husbands were interviewed by the press. Caleb squirmed in Gabriella's lap and she set him down in his own seat.

Unfortunately, the young brunette did not anticipate the reason for why Caleb wanted to get off her lap. The little toddler took off out of his chair and sprinted down the stairs to the basketball court. Gabriella immediately went into panic mode and left her seat to chase after him.

"Caleb! No, honey. Come here now!"

But before Gabriella could reach him he had climbed over the courtside seats and was running toward Troy, who was talking with the Coach Cohen. The young man caught sight of his toddler and immediately dropped to his level and scooped the running boy up into his arms.

"Caleb, bud, what are you doing on the court?"

Coach Cohen laughed, ruffling the child's hair slightly before moving away to talk to his assistants. Caleb grinned and wrapped his little hands around Troy's neck.

"I missed you, Daddy. You were AMAZING!" Caleb complimented in a loud baby voice, the kind that just made his parents melt.

"Thank you, buddy. Where's Mommy?" Troy asked, wondering how his son had managed to get onto the court by himself.

"She's over there. She tried to catch me but I'm too fast!" Caleb giggled and Troy groaned, slapping his forehead with his free hand for dramatic effect.

"Caleb, you know you're supposed to listen to Mommy." Troy reprimanded and for the second time that night, he caught the eye of his lover. Gabriella was absolutely stunning in her pair of faded blue jeans and a low cut white blouse. Troy almost groaned at the sight of her.

Walking over to Gabriella, who was standing awkwardly on the sidelines, Troy handed Caleb over to her open arms. He stood there for a moment, trying to read her face before speaking up.

"Hey." Damn, that was not the right way to start off talking to the woman he had just had sex with the previous night.

"Hi. Nice game, Troy." Gabriella commented shyly while looking at the ground, still unsure of how Troy felt about their previous night.

Shit. That was not a good sign. If Gabriella was back to being shy around him…

Troy's bubble of happiness burst and Gabriella watched as her husband's face crumbled into and expression of pain for a brief second before becoming expressionless.

"Thanks. I'll be home in an hour and a half." Troy muttered and walked away. He missed the look of utter devastation that now occupied Gabriella's face. He hadn't wanted it…

"You have some explaining to do…" Taylor, who had made her way down to where Gabriella was standing, whispered in her ear.

* * *

A little past eleven thirty Troy stepped into the foyer of his home, a completely different man than when he had left that morning. His optimism had turned into a dark pessimism, and his heart ached worse than ever – even right after the accident. He wasn't just hurt, he was broken.

Setting his bag down by the bottom of the stairs, Troy walked towards the kitchen and stopped just outside the doorway to listen to the soft humming of his wife. Troy's heart clenched painfully.

He turned his head to peek around the corner, and…

There she was.

Troy watched as Gabriella stirred something in a bowl before pouring it into a pan on the ignited stove. She had her back to him and was humming an unfamiliar tune – acting like nothing ever happened.

Hurt raced through Troy's body, and he crouched down to his knees, holding his face in his hands. He couldn't believe this. Last night had been one of the most amazing nights of his life and it didn't mean anything to Gabriella.

The young man stood up before placing a hand on the wall to support himself.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked cautiously, still letting some hope break through his despair. He was praying that he had been wrong.

The young brunette whipped around with a surprised look on her face, and then gave him a soft, almost forced, smile, "Oh. Hi, Troy." She stuttered uncomfortably, before returning to her cooking

That was it. She didn't care.

_Shit_. That finalization of it hurt more than Troy expected.

Tears began to pool in Troy's eyes, and he turned around to face the stairs. He just had the most amazing sex ever, and Gabriella was just…using him. She really didn't care about him, didn't want a relationship with him, and wasn't interested in trying to work things out.

"Troy?"

The young man turned slowly to see his wife standing at the counter with glossy eyes.

_Was she…crying?_

"Gabriella…what's wrong?" Troy asked in a concerned tone. The brunette just shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and her pointer finger.

"Was I really that…bad?" she choked out, the tears dripping through her voice. "I'm sorry, Troy. I know we've done it before, but I can't remember anything you like, or how to do…I'm so sorry," she blubbered.

"What?" Troy asked, now more confused than before. "What do you mean, honey?"

"The SEX Troy! You hated it, and you didn't even want it to happen! Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you just push me away? It would have saved me a lot of humiliation! I…I…don't even know what to say…" Gabriella exclaimed, now sobbing completely.

"You think I didn't enjoy last night?" Troy asked to clarify. "That I didn't want to sleep with you?" The little bubble of hope suddenly increased tenfold. He couldn't stop it.

_Holy shit…this might be it_ he thought.

"Well…yes…why?" Gabriella choked out, now wiping the tears from her face. The young brunette had been in a depressed mood ever since leaving the arena. Taylor had noticed and decided not to make her talk about Troy, since it seemed to be a sensitive subject with her.

"But…you did enjoy it? You wanted it to happen?" Troy's tone now included so much hope that he knew it was going to hurt more than ever if she said no.

"Um…if you didn't, I mean, I…It was-"

"Gabriella," Troy asked forcefully, now taking strides towards her before stopping just in front of the counter she was standing behind. "Did you want to have sex with me last night, or was it just the heat of the moment?"

The brunette looked down at the ground before looking up shyly at her husband. His blue eyes pierced into hers and she could feel a blush creeping over her face.

"Yes."

"Yes, what?" Troy asked again.

"Yes I wanted to have sex with you." Gabriella whispered, looking at the ground as she said it. God this was so embarrassing.

Silence…

More silence…

Even more silence…

"Thank you God." Troy sighed and pushed off from his spot on the counter to run to his wife and wrap her in a tight hug. "I love you so much. I wanted it, too, Baby. I did." He mumbled into her curls.

Gabriella pressed herself tightly against him. "Really? Even though I didn't know what I was doing and I don't remember you?"

Troy pulled away and looked into his wife's eyes. "I don't care that you don't remember me. That doesn't mean I'm going to love you any less." He murmured, before glancing shyly at the ground. "Can I kiss you?"

Gabriella smiled brightly. "Of course you can."

Troy lowered his head so that he could connect their lips. He felt Gabriella's arms wrap around his neck and her entire body fall into him.

Her heart was soaring. This was perfect. Troy wanted last night, and she did too. They both wanted to be together.

Gabriella pulled herself closer to Troy as his muscular arms held her tightly. She broke the kiss to bury her head in his neck and place a small kiss there.

Troy knew that this was heaven. Something he had not been able to enjoy for so long. How had he gone without it?

"Oh, Mommy…Daddy…GROSS!" a little voice floated through the kitchen, and Gabriella immediately backed far away from Troy. However, he quickly grabbed her waist and pulled her tightly against him, nuzzling her hair with his nose.

"You're not going anywhere," he mumbled, grinning as Gabriella giggled.

Caleb trotted over to his parents from where he had been standing and gazed up at them with a curious look on his face.

"Is Mommy feeling better?" he asked quietly, directing his question to Troy.

Gabriella looked between the two with a confused expression. "What are you doing out of bed, Caleb?"

"Yeah buddy. She's perfect." Troy said passionately, looking into Gabriella's eyes.

It was almost too much for Gabriella. She had to use every ounce of strength in her body not to crash her lips to his at that moment.

The young brunette gently removed Troy's hands from her waist, and picked up her toddler, kissing him on the cheek.

"Come on. It's been a long day. Time for bed."

"Mmmm…okay." Caleb obliged, causing his parents to laugh. Both Troy and Gabriella tucked the toddler in upstairs after turning off the stove and closed the door before Troy stopped at the top of the stairs, suddenly unsure what to do. Yes, he had slept with Gabriella that past night, but just because they were back together didn't necessarily mean that she wanted him back in her bed.

The young man pushed his hand roughly through his hair and let out a sigh. He noticed Gabriella turn around in the doorway of the master bedroom to watch him curiously.

Her eyes widened as she saw her husband trudge toward the guest bedroom with a desolate look on his face.

"Troy, what are you doing?" she asked cautiously, in case there was something she didn't know about that was upsetting him.

"Going to bed. Goodnight babe. I love you." Troy smiled softly, letting those words linger between the couple. It felt so good to be able to say them again.

Gabriella smiled brightly, biting her lip before running towards Troy and throwing herself into his arms. "I know this may seem a little forward of me, and it may feel like we're moving really fast, but I was wondering if you wanted to sleep in the master bedroom tonight?"

Gabriella felt her lips being attacked by Troy's. "I…would…love…to…" he mumbled in between kisses.

He pulled Gabriella with him into _their_ bedroom, never breaking the kiss. Troy couldn't even comprehend how much this affection meant to him. He needed this love from her. Even though she may not have been _in love_ with him, she still cared the kind of way a lover would.

Troy released Gabriella and let her crawl into the bed before running back to the guest bedroom to change into his pajamas. When he came back Gabriella smiled brightly at him and he let his glow of happiness show through his breathtaking grin.

Gabriella grabbed his hand as he got underneath the covers and turned the tableside lamp off. She threaded their fingers together and pulled herself close to Troy. This was perfect. She felt so comfortable around him – not like their relationship was just starting, but like they had been dating for over a year.

Troy pressed his lips to Gabriella's forehead and buried his face in her curls – something he missed terribly when they were apart.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone in bed this morning." He whispered as one of his hands ran down her side and rested on her hip. "I had lunch with my parents and couldn't stand to wake you."

Gabriella smiled as she snuggled into his chest. "It's okay. I just thought you didn't want it because you weren't there in the morning."

Gabriella felt Troy's body shake as he chuckled. "Yeah. This all got out of hand because I did that. I was worrying the whole day that you may have regretted it."

The beautiful brunette on his chest let her eyes close. "Never. It was perfect."

* * *

**I think my last update was in June? July? Whenever it was there is no excuse to why I have not posted in forever. I feel so terrible for leaving you guys hanging with the last chapter. I'm so bad at updating and I hate it when authors don't update regularly. I'm such a hypocrite.**

**If you read this chapter, thank you for giving it a chance. I was really nervous about how I was going to write this one because of the new level Troy and Gabriella reached in their relationship. I don't love it, but the next few chapters I'm looking forward to writing. BECAUSE…**

**The drama doesn't end here. :)**

**Again, I'm so SO SO SO sorry. I feel so guilty for even trying to continue the story.**

**Thanks for giving me a chance!**

**_Wounded Sparrow_**


	14. Easing Into It

**It's been a long time. Too long. And I know I say that in everything author's note, so I'm not going to state the obvious and say that I'm really sorry and I've been busy and you know…**

**So I'm determined to finish this story before August. I know, it's a long shot but I am determined. Once I get through the next chapter the story will pick up pace and become a little more interesting.**

**Once again, to anyone who is still reading this, thank you. You are seriously amazing and loyal, and thanks so much for continuing to give this story a chance. **

**Don't know how I feel about this chapter. Definitely not my favorite. It's kind of a filler and it sets up the next one, so… hopefully it's not too disappointing.**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter: **Easing Into It

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

Three days

Only three days had passed since "it" happened, and it was as if the entire world was flipped around.

Gabriella laughed to herself, wondering how three days could turn her from a lonely, sad, hurting woman into a loved, happy, and energized human being. It was incredible.

"Care to share what's on your mind, Gabriella?"

The brunette immediately straightened out her face and looked up at her boss, Steven, who was grinning back at her. The two were sitting in a meeting with Michael, discussing the media plan they had prepared for the Detroit auto show.

"Sorry, just thinking about something funny." she whispered.

Michael, who was standing in front of them with a bunch of papers, cleared his throat.

"Anyway…" he continued, ignoring Gabriella's blush, "The media plan was quite inventive, and I received extremely positive feedback from many who attended the show. Therefore, as far as creating and putting the plan together, you did fantastic. However, you're timeliness is another matter…"

"We got it to you on Thursday morning, which was when you asked for it," Steven commented, shooting Gabriella a confused look. Had Michael not told them to stay an hour later on Wednesday night just so they could finish the majority of the plan?

"Well, I would have preferred to have it on Wednesday night. I'm going to let it slide this time because the plan was beneficial to the company, but in the future, I will not tolerate any more late projects."

Gabriella's mouth dropped open. _What?_ Was he serious? That did not make any sense! She almost missed Troy's game because she had to stay an hour later, and now he's claiming that she and Steven should have pulled an all-nighter to finish it? That was a load of –

"Understood. Is that all, Michael?" Steven just accepted to ridicule from the company owner and moved on, letting it roll off his shoulders. Gabriella wished she could do that.

"I'm afraid not. We still have to go over some plans for next year. But I'm sure we'll be done in about three hours or so." Michael said in an uncaring tone before turning around to pull out more folders from his briefcase.

"What? Michael it's Sunday! Not to mention Christmas Eve! Can't we just wait until Tuesday morning to go over this?" Gabriella commented, completely appalled that her boss would make her sit in this stuffy conference room for over four hours just to discuss meaningless crap that they could talk about some other time.

"No, Gabriella. This is important for the company." Michael said in an annoyed tone. "Well, I can't seem to find my second set of notes. Go ahead and take an hour for lunch and meet me back here at two."

Gabriella and Steven looked at each other and exited the conference room quickly.

"What the hell is his problem? Does he always do this?" Gabriella asked Steven as they walked back toward their offices.

"Not a lot, but he usually gets like this around Christmas. He's just kind of weird like that. Personally, I think he's just lonely."

"Well he doesn't have to take it out on us," Gabriella sighed. "I really didn't want to spend today at the office."

"Me neither. My wife just about shot me when she found out I had to work." Steven stopped walking as they came to Gabriella's office. "How did Troy take it?"

The brunette's eyes closed as she took in a breath at the sound of her husband's name. Even though she didn't tell Steven that she and Troy were back together, he knew. It must have been completely obvious when she came to work on Thursday. She was in love.

"He was pretty upset. He's leaving tonight for Chicago because they have a game against the Bulls tomorrow. We were supposed to be able to spend the day together as a family."

Steven nodded sympathetically, but then his face took on a sheepish expression, "It must suck to have to play on Christmas, but I love to watch those games."

Gabriella laughed, "It's okay, Steven. Everybody does. The ratings are always through the roof." She paused briefly, "Ugh. I guess I'll see you back here at two."

The young woman opened her office door and stepped inside. She didn't feel like eating. What she really wanted to do right now was cuddle up next to Troy on the family room couch and watch a movie, like they had Friday night after Caleb went to bed.

With the fire burning and the lights dimmed, Gabriella knew it was one of the best nights of her life. Troy had pulled her close to him so she could snuggle into his chest. His arms constricted tightly around her, and he would press kisses to her forehead or hair.

It was almost as good as waking up to Troy on Thursday morning. Gabriella's eyes fluttered closed at the memory.

_Gabriella's cell phone alarm went off, waking both of the bed's occupants from their sleep. _

_Her eyes had yet to open when she felt a slight pressure on her lips. She was greeted by the intense blue eyes of Troy as he hovered over her with a lazy smile. _

"_Good morning." He mumbled, burying his head in the crook of her neck._

_She had giggled at the sensation, "Good morning, Troy." _

_He rolled off her and propped himself up on one elbow so that he could look her in the eyes. "You have no idea how nice it is to wake up with you in my bed. I missed it so much."_

_Gabriella smiled, surprised at how comfortable she was being with Troy in this way. "I don't remember what it was like to wake up in the same bed as you, but if this is similar, I love it," she commented, giggling as Troy's face erupted into a huge smile and attacked her face with kisses. _

"_Do you have to go into work today? I really hope you don't because I'm not planning on letting you leave this bed…" Troy mumbled into Gabriella's neck, causing her to shiver._

_God, he was driving her crazy._

"_Mmmm… Troy. I want you to keep me captive, but-"_

"_Then let me," Troy's lips attacked Gabriella's ear and started to make their way down her jaw. She gasped as she felt his tongue on her skin. _

_Gabriella's mind was telling her to screw work and stay with Troy. She let herself become lost in the sensations he was giving her by just touching her delicately, as if she was the most precious thing in the entire world and he didn't want to break her. _

_Gabriella woke up enough from her state of slumber in order to run her hands up Troy's back, smiling to herself as she felt the muscles ripple and heard his groan of pleasure. _

"_Mmmm… I love you so much." Troy mumbled in between kisses, sending Gabriella into an alert state. _

_She had yet to say the same thing back to him. Not because she didn't feel the same way. No, Gabriella had determined a while ago that Troy was the most perfect guy she could ever dream of, and that she was the luckiest woman on the planet to be the one to make him groan in pleasure or sigh in complete happiness. _

_It was just that once those words were out there, she didn't know how he was going to take them. Even though they had reconciled, she still didn't remember their past life together, the past life where they fell in love for the first time. That life was important to Troy, and Gabriella didn't know how he would feel if she told him she loved him when she didn't even remember anything before the accident. _

_At that moment, Gabriella noticed that Troy had stopped kissing her collarbone for a moment to glance up at her after he spoke his feelings. Gabriella stared nervously back into his deep blue gaze._

"_I…um…" she trailed off, unable to speak the words she so desperately wanted to speak, in fear of losing Troy because he would realize that it didn't sound or feel the same coming from her now as it did before the accident. _

"_It's okay," Troy sighed gently, a cloudy expression coming over his piercing eyes, and he went back to kissing her neck. Gabriella couldn't understand why he would be visibly upset by her lack of response. Maybe he did want her to return the words of devotion, but what would happen if once he heard them, he realized that Gabriella wasn't the same person she used to be? What if she didn't say it right? Gabriella couldn't handle rejection from Troy now that she understood how deep her feelings ran for him._

_The alarm on the watch went off once more, and Troy stopped kissing her long enough for Gabriella to reach over and shut it off. She leaned back to kiss him on the lips quickly._

"_As I was saying, I have to go into work today. Steven and I are supposed to hand in a big plan for the Detroit Auto Show to Michael." _

_Troy rolled off her and got out of bed, stretching briefly before walking towards the door. "Alright. I don't have practice until tonight. I'll take care of Caleb so he doesn't have to go to the company daycare."_

_Gabriella lifted herself out of bed and walked over to Troy, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle. "Thank you," she murmured._

"_No problem, Gabi." Troy smiled, kissing her forehead. "Let's go wake up the little monster."_

Gabriella let her smile grow wider. Even though she and Troy had been extremely affectionate towards each other in the past three days, they had still yet to have sex again. Although the desire was clearly there, Gabriella couldn't help but feel relief in the sense that she would be able to start a somewhat normal relationship with Troy, rather than just jumping into sex again.

Just as Gabriella was locking her office door to leave for the cafeteria, she heard her phone beep twice, signaling that she had a text message. Digging the device out of her purse, she read the screen and felt her heart start pounding.

_1 NEW TXT MSG – Troy_

_Sorry you're still stuck at work. I took Caleb to the gym to practice basketball. Why don't you stop by after you're done? We miss you._

Gabriella smiled at the last line. _We._ Meaning both her little boy and her husband. They both missed her and wanted to see her. The thought of a guy like Troy wanting to see her made her heart melt. She had not felt this giddy in a long time.

Glancing at the clock, Gabriella ran her hands through her hair in frustration. _1:23. _Hopefully she only had two more hours of this shit.

* * *

"I MADE IT! Daddy did you see? YAY!" The toddler's cry was heard throughout the empty gym. Troy smiled brightly at his son and let out a chuckle. That little boy tightened his grasp on his father's heart with every passing day. Troy couldn't believe how lucky he was to have the perfect little boy – a part of him.

Truth be told, Troy couldn't even imagine his life without Caleb. When the going got tough, all he had to do was think of his little boy and making him proud of his daddy. That's what Troy had done in the months after Gabriella's accident. He pulled it together for his son. He kept trying and remained patient, praying every night that his wife would finally remember something.

To Troy, Caleb and Gabriella were everything. Without the two of them, there wouldn't be a Troy Bolton.

And when both of them were with him at the same time, Troy Bolton could not be happier.

"Wow sweetie! You're almost as good as Daddy!"

Troy quickly turned around toward the entrance of the gym and felt a smile grow on his face as he stared at his wife. She was wearing a blue tank top and black yoga pants, with her hair tied up in a messy ponytail. Obviously having changed out of her work clothes, she still managed to look beautiful. Troy felt like a love struck teenager again as he acknowledged the increased heart rate he experienced just by her being close in proximity to him.

"MOMMY!" Caleb cried out in happiness, running across the gym to jump in her waiting arms. "I missed you!"

Troy watched fondly as his wife nuzzled her son and kissed his sandy brown hair. He walked over to his family and felt an uncontrollable blush form on his cheeks when Gabriella flashed a shy smile at him.

"Caleb, bud, why don't you grab the basketball you left in the bleachers and then we can go home and open presents," Troy suggested. The little boy nodded vigorously before running across the gym away from his parents.

"Hey," Troy muttered, shifting his weight side to side. Even though he had slept with Gabriella four days ago, he didn't feel as though he had the right to initiate affection with her any time he wanted (which was almost all the time) just in case she was uncomfortable. There were sometimes, like the morning after she invited him to sleep in the guest bedroom, that he couldn't help but initiate a kiss or cuddle without carefully considering her body language, but most of the time he waited and observed her before taking any initiative.

It bothered Troy a little bit that Gabriella rarely was the first to show affection. He knew that she was still getting used to their relationship, but Troy wanted to know she wasn't just complying with his physical wishes, whether they are for a kiss, hug, or cuddle. He wanted to make sure that Gabriella also sought out a hug or kiss from him because she enjoyed the feelings it gave her.

But Troy was fine with where they were at for now, even if he couldn't just immediately attack her pink puffy lips like he wanted to.

"Hey. How was your workout with the monster?" she laughed quietly, staring fondly at her little boy.

"It was great. We had fun. I'm glad you finally got off from work, though," Troy mumbled the last part, suddenly unsure of whether or not he crossed a line with that. It was frustrating to Troy, because even though he knew Gabriella was attracted to him physically now, he didn't feel as open to explaining his feelings as he would have before the accident.

"Me, too," Gabriella sighed, before glancing at his lips briefly. Troy noticed the shift in her eyes and took it as a cue to initiate affection she was clearly seeking. Feeling his heart race in anticipation, Troy decided to start out slow and put a hand on the small of her back, pushing her closer to his chest. Gabriella lifted herself up on her toes and traced her hand along the contours of Troy's shoulder around to the back of his neck. Troy held her tighter as he wrapped her in an intimate hug – one that was long enough to show how they missed each other.

Pulling away slowly, Gabriella smiled and leaned her head against Troy's chest.

"Come on," Troy muttered, kissing her hair. Let's go home. My parents should be over soon."

"Your parents?" Gabriella questioned curiously.

"Yeah. Remember? They're coming over to watch Caleb open a few presents before I leave tonight."

_Oh, shit. Troy's parents._

Gabriella had completely forgotten about them. Troy must have told them that they were back together. Would they be expecting a lot of affection? Lucille had been advocating for them to get back together since the accident. Would it be weird that Gabriella was with her son but still wasn't like she used to be before the accident?

"Gabriella, chill." Troy stopped what he was doing as he noticed his wife's wide eyes and glossed over stare. "Yes, my parents know about us, and you have nothing to worry about. They are both ecstatic that we are happy and… together. No expectations, okay? No one is judging or comparing you to anything, alright?"

Gabriella took a moment to enjoy Troy's hands rubbing comfortingly up and down her arms. "Okay," she smiled, gathering the courage to lean up and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Her grin widened as she saw the red blush tint his cheeks and a shy smile form from her affection. Whenever Troy blushed it always made Gabriella internally squeal. He was not only a super confident and sexy man, but he also had a shy side that drove her crazy.

"Shouldn't we save some of the presents for Christmas Day?" Gabriella asked, continuing their previous conversation.

"Yeah, we are. I left half of Caleb's in our closet, along with your present." Troy said, suddenly avoiding Gabriella's gaze.

"My present? I wonder what it might be..." Gabriella laughed, but suddenly became nervous at the thought of Troy opening _her _gift to _him_. She wasn't sure if she got the right kind of gift for Troy. Gabriella hadn't wanted to go all romantic and sappy on him, especially considering that when she got the gift she had no idea that Troy felt the same way about her. "I'll put yours in the closet too. We can open them together when you come back from Chicago?"

Gabriella lifted her head to see Troy grinning brightly at her. "I'm excited."

Gabriella smiled softly, leaning into the embrace Troy wrapped her in. The room suddenly seemed to fade away as she stared into her husband's eyes. The blue in them radiated desire and Gabriella felt herself naturally move closer to him. Troy's eyes focused on her lips, and then back up to her face, looking at her questioningly. He had been very hesitant in showing affection towards her, trying to take things slow, but Gabriella wasn't stupid. She could tell he was dying to get back to where they had been before the accident.

But even so, Troy, as he normally had been doing lately, initiated the kiss by tilting his head down slightly and watching as Gabriella's eyes fluttered to a close…

When Troy's lips pressed firmly to hers for the first time that afternoon, Gabriella was in heaven. Her arms moved to wrap around his neck in order to keep herself locked tightly with him. One of Troy's hands traveled up her side to her face and cupped her cheek softly as his lips moved with hers. It wasn't urgent; it was soft and delicate, gentle even. A way of expressing how much the other meant.

Troy's right hand pushed against the small of Gabriella's back to bring her closer to him, and he was starting to deepen the kiss when the sound of an exasperated sigh interrupted the intimate moment.

"Mommy! I want a hug, too!" Caleb exclaimed, a tiny pout across his face.

Gabriella giggled as Troy's arms tightened around her, as if he was refusing to hand her over to her son.

"Yeah? Well then tell Daddy that he needs to share."

Troy grinned brightly and let go of his wife to scoop his toddler up and place him in Gabriella's awaiting arms. "There you go, bud. And remember, Daddy's the nice one."

"Troy! That is not true," Gabriella reprimanded playfully as the family walked out of the building to the car.

Troy stole Caleb away from Gabriella's arms to put the child on his shoulders as they walked to the car.

"Yeah, well, I guess you can be a little nice," Troy playfully said, buckling the toddler into his car seat.

* * *

"That meal was delicious, Lucille! Thank you so much for cooking dinner tonight," Gabriella said kindly as she cleared the dishes from the table.

"You're very welcome, sweetheart," Lucille said in a warm tone, leaving Gabriella with a smile.

Even though Troy said there would be no expectations about their relationship, Gabriella couldn't help but feel like Lucille and Jack were watching their every move around each other. Troy was still very hesitant to initiate any affection towards Gabriella, and she was wary of showing affection to Troy in front of his parents. It seemed to be driving Lucille crazy. She was always pushing her son and his wife to be together – whether it be clearing the table together or pulling out half the presents from the master bedroom closet later that night.

Therefore, when Troy did a daring move and pulled Gabriella to his body for a soft kiss after they had finished setting up the presents under the tree, the young brunette distinctly heard a small gasp coming from her mother-in-law. And as Troy pulled away to look at her with an expression that showed how much he loved her, Gabriella noticed a small tear trickle down Lucille's face. She was crying out of happiness.

Troy leaned down to whisper in Gabriella's ear. "I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable. My mom has been on edge ever since she got here, just dying to see some affection between us. I didn't mean to make you uneasy in front of my parents, but I kind of wanted to give my mother a break," Troy said before kissing her just under her ear. "And I also like kissing you."

Gabriella blushed at her husband's words and his big smile. She had to admit that she didn't mind this affection from her husband.

"COME ON! PRESENTS!" Caleb cheered, tugging on Troy's arm to pull him over to the chair next to the Christmas tree.

"Now remember, Caleb, Santa doesn't come until tomorrow. We're just opening these because your daddy has to leave and won't be here on Christmas, okay?" Jack leaned down to talk to his grandson. Caleb nodded quickly, but his parents noticed the solemn look cross his face at the idea of his daddy leaving.

"Hey Bud, it's only for a day. I'll be back sooner than you know it, okay?" Troy lifted his little boy into his lap. "I love you so much, and so does Mommy. Be good for her okay? I need you to be strong while I'm gone. No crying, okay?" Troy gave the toddler a pep talk.

"I'll try," Caleb said in a teary voice, and Troy sighed as the boy's eyes filled with water and tears spilled onto his cheeks.

Gabriella almost started crying herself. She quickly turned her head to wipe away some moisture that had started to form on her lids. Her son and her husband were _so _close. They had the cutest relationship and seeing Caleb's reaction to Troy leaving made her love her family and how close they were even more. She may have initially not wanted to have kids, but seeing the gentleness in which Troy comforted their child made her heart swell with pride and adoration.

"Come on. Let's open some presents while I'm still here. Do you want to do that?" Troy asked Caleb, and the little boy screeched in excitement before crawling off his father's lap to run at the tree.

All four of the adults in the room laughed at the child's antics. Gabriella first handed him a silver package with a light blue bow. Caleb ripped through the paper and threw the bow to the side, his eyes lighting up at the content of the package.

"Mommy it's a SpongeBob puzzle!" Caleb cheered, running over to his mother to show her the box and explain what a puzzle was.

"That's so cool, sweetie. Grandma and Grandpa got that for you. What do you say?"

Troy chuckled as Caleb ran over to thank Lucille and Jack and give them big hugs and kisses on the cheek. Gabriella used the opportunity of the momentary distraction to remove herself from her post at the Christmas tree and snuggle into Troy's arms on the couch.

The entire situation reminded Troy of his senior year in college, when he had brought Gabriella over to his cousin Kat's house on Christmas Eve.

"_What is it? What is it Kayla? Hunh?" Kat cooed to her one year old as the baby held on to an adorable Tigger plush doll. "It's Tigger, baby!" _

_Troy laughed at the way his cousin was acting. "Seriously Kat, I know she's a baby, but you're not…" _

"_Shut up," Kat frowned playfully._

_Troy's Aunt Margaret caught her nephew's remark and grinned at him, observing how was watching little Kayla open presents with his arm slung around Gabriella's shoulders. Troy whispered something in Gabriella's ear and smiled brightly as she giggled at his comment. _

"_I wouldn't be talking, Troy." Aunt Margaret said in a sly voice, interrupting the moment between the couple on the couch. _

"_Ouch, Aunt Margaret," Troy said in mock hurt, "I most definitely am not a baby."_

"_I wasn't talking about that, Troy. I mean you better watch what you say. Especially when you and Gabriella are probably next in line for adding a new addition to the family._

_Troy was immediately quiet as Gabriella blushed in embarrassment. She knew they had joked at couple of times about getting married, but none of it was serious. Gabriella was sure that if it ever did happen, it would be a long time away in the distant future._

_Meanwhile, Troy remained quiet, reaching down in his pocket to finger the tiny square box that he had been carrying around for the past week, just waiting for the right moment. He knew what he wanted in life. He wanted Gabriella – forever. And Troy knew he wanted to marry her. _

_Maybe it wouldn't be so bad acting like a child if he was able to have Gabriella at his side and one of their creations smiling up at them the way Kayla was grinning at Kat. _

Troy smiled at the memory. When he had finally gathered up enough courage to ask Gabriella to marry him, it had been the most terrifying moment of his life. He would have been absolutely crushed if she had turned him down.

Letting his mind return to the present, both parents enjoyed the rest of the night, watching their little boy's eyes light up in excitement at every present he opened.

Shortly after Caleb had finished opening all the presents under the tree, Troy had to retire to the master bedroom to get ready for his trip. Gabriella offered to help him after Jack and Lucille promised to help Caleb with his puzzle.

Midway through packing, Troy remembered that he had to change into a suit for the plane, and without a second thought about Gabriella in the room, ripped his shirt off and threw it in the laundry hamper sitting in the corner of the room.

Gabriella stopped folding clothes for a second to really look at her husband's body. Holy shit. He was a god. His abs were more than clearly defined, and he had massive biceps that she enjoyed being wrapped in. Everything was perfect. How the hell did she ever steal this man's heart?

It was then that Gabriella had to think about the first time she saw Troy shirtless the one morning when they slept in the same bed because the house was so cold. Had he really been that ripped then, too? It almost looked as though he had gotten _a lot_ bigger.

"I don't mean to be rude or out of line or… whatever. I was just wondering, um, have you been…well..have…ugh, never mind," Gabriella sighed, turning around to walk out of the room.

"Wait!" Troy called, dropping the dress shirt he was about to put on and quickly grabbing his wife's wrist to keep her from opening the door. "You know you can ask me anything, Gabi. Please, what were you going to say?"

Gabriella fidgeted nervously, keeping her eyes trained on the ground. "Well, I was just wondering if maybe…I mean, I know you have to for basketball, and you've always been…" Gabriella shook her head and didn't continue.

Troy groaned in exasperation. "Baby, you're killing me here. What is it? Please!" he prompted, running his hand up and down her arm.

"Have you been working out lately? Like… more than usual? Not that you haven't always looked amazing, but I feel like since the first time I saw you shirtless a few months ago, you've gotten…bigger." Gabriella blushed at her choice of words, completely embarrassed with this conversation. She wished she had never brought it up. Why was she such a curious person?

Troy was quiet for a moment before he laughed softly and kissed Gabriella on the cheek before pulling her into an intimate embrace. "Gabriella that's not an offensive question. I thought you were going to ask why I wasn't attractive or something," Troy chuckled, kissing her hair.

"Well, I didn't know…" Gabriella mumbled before Troy cut her off.

"To answer your question… yes. I have been working out a lot more than usual. And I will be completely honest with you and admit my reason for doing it was to try and become more attractive for you," Troy admitted confidently, but the brunette could still spy the blush creeping up on his cheeks.

Gabriella frowned, looking up into her husband's sparkling blue eyes. "Why would you feel you had to become more attractive for me? Troy, you're already…just incredibly…uh…hot."

"Gabriella," Troy chuckled, "because we weren't together, and it didn't look like we were taking any steps in that direction, I got this strange feeling that maybe you weren't attracted to me. I wasn't able to use my high school boyish charm on you like I did when you were seventeen, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to increase my weight room time. It was a win-win situation anyway. I could potentially attract your attention, and I would improve my game."

"So basically," Gabriella smiled shyly as she ran her hands up her husband's bare chest, feeling his hard abs ripple in pleasure beneath her touch, "you were trying to seduce me?"

Troy's eyes darkened at the brunette's question. He liked how Gabriella was initiating some kind of affection towards him. "Yes. Did it work?"

Gabriella's lips grazed the side of his jaw. "Definitely. These big strong muscles make you look super sexy."

"Oh, really?" Troy smiled, liking the direction this conversation was going in. "Well I think I could be even sexier if you took off my clothes so you could admire all my muscles…" Troy murmured, pressing his lips to the brunette's neck.

Their sexual tension had been through the roof for the last three days, but both adults got control of it because they knew taking it slow was the best way to make their relationship last. It seemed to have reached a breaking point though, as Gabriella moved herself even closer to Troy, speaking words he never thought she would say…

"Yeah? Only if you take off mine…"

With that comment, Troy slammed his lips against Gabriella's after ripping her shirt over her head and tossing it aside, leaving her hot pink lacy bra exposed.

"Shit." Troy lifted Gabriella up and carried her across the room to the bed. "Pink lace? Damn Gabriella. You know how to seduce me…"

Gabriella giggled as she pushed Troy's jeans down his legs. "You like pink, Mr. Basketball star? Who would have guessed a strong man like you would be partial to pink?"

Troy smiled wickedly at her before kissing her soundly on the lips. "I like pink on _you._ It was the same color you were wearing when we had our first time…"

Gabriella, surprised at her husband's words, shifted herself up so she was leaning back on her elbows. "Pink? You remember that? I thought guys didn't pay attention through all that stuff anyway…"

Troy pulled away from kissing her stomach and stared at her curiously. "What do you mean by that? Of course I would pay attention to the little things. I had been waiting nearly two years to sleep with you."

"Really? When did we first sleep together?" Gabriella asked, suddenly desperate for some kind of information on her past.

"On my birthday when we were eighteen. Why?"

"Are you serious? On your birthday? Ugh, how lame could I have been?" Gabriella sighed dramatically before flopping back down on the bed.

"Hey! That was the best fucking birthday present I've ever had! Don't diss it." Troy said in mock hurt.

"TROY! The limo's here!" the couple heard the shouting of Lucille from down the stairs and both eyes widened simultaneously.

"Shit! Troy you've got to get some clothes on! Come on!" Gabriella wiggled out from underneath him and started gathering some last minute things for him around the room. Troy swore and put his face in his hands.

"Troy, what's wrong? Come on you've got to get going!" Gabriella exclaimed.

"I _just_ wanted to have sex with you before I left. But no. You had to work. Then my parents had to come over tonight. And then my mom suggested we watch _A Christmas Story_. And now, just when we had fifteen minutes to ourselves, the limo decides to show up early…"

Gabriella laughed at Troy's desolate expression climbed behind where he was sitting on the bed to wrap her arms around him and lean her head against his bare back. "Really? You wanted to have sex with me? I didn't notice." She grinned, kissing his shoulder.

"Oh, that's it!" Troy growled, turning around to push Gabriella back on the bed and attack her lips.

"TROY!"

Both Gabriella and Troy let out a simultaneous groan.

"Fuck this. Your ass is mine the second I get back, got it?" Troy looked at Gabriella intently, and she noticed that beneath his joking words was a burning desire to be with her. She saw his love for her radiate from the azure, and felt her stomach clench. Damn limo.

"Got it," she answered softly, blushing in the process. This was getting really annoying.

"Come here," Troy said, and he moved off the bed to pull Gabriella in a standing position next to him. He leaned down to give her a soft, lingering kiss on the lips. "I'm really going to miss you." He muttered, nuzzling his nose in her hair.

"I'll miss you, too, Troy. I'll see you soon though," Gabriella smiled, "Play well, okay?" she whispered. The moment had gotten too intimate, and Gabriella didn't want to ruin it by speaking in a loud voice.

"I will," Troy promised, before grabbing his suitcase and duffel bag by the door. "Goodnight. I love you."

Troy walked out the door without another word, and Gabriella let one small tear trickle down her eye. Once she knew he was out of earshot, she whispered the words she so desperately wanted to say to him...

"I love you, too."

* * *

"We had a wonderful time tonight, Gabriella. Thank you so much for having us over," Lucille said kindly, standing by the front door of her son's house.

"Of course. Caleb loves you guys. We wouldn't have it any other way," Gabriella smiled, giving her mother-in-law a hug.

"Pardon me for commenting on your business, but I am just so happy that you and Troy are working things out. You two were so happy before the accident, happier than most couples your age, and I think the two of you can get back to that. I can already see it when you look at each other, and-"

"Okay, Lucille. That's enough. Thanks for having us and we'll see you tomorrow to watch the game?" Jack interrupted his wife to prevent her from saying too much.

"Of course. You're welcome to come over as early as you'd like," Gabriella said, opening the door for Troy's parents.

"Okay, well if you need anything, just call. Have a good night. Merry Christmas, sweetheart," Lucille said before heading out the door.

Gabriella finally let Troy's absence take over her mind as she shut the door after them. It had only been about three hours since he walked out of the master bedroom and out the front door to the limo, and she missed him like crazy.

Trudging upstairs, Gabriella checked on her sleeping toddler quickly before changing into her pajamas and crawling into the master bed. It felt so empty and cold without Troy. She had gotten used to his constricting arms around her waist or the enthusiastic good morning kiss that she received every morning, even if she had only had it for three days. It was going to be a long night.

Gabriella was just drifting off to sleep when a loud rattle against her nightstand awakened her. She looked over to see her phone lit up and a new text message:

**1 NEW TXT MSG – Troy**

_Can't stop thinking about you. Wish I could be there next to you tonight. I love you._

* * *

Thanks so much for sticking with me! It means more than you will ever know. The next chapter will be out much sooner because I have to finish this story before I go away to school. I will absolutely not have time to write after August.

**In the next chapter:**

_Gabriella decides to surprise Troy in Chicago and flies out there with Caleb to watch his game. But will the surprise backfire on her when she sees something Troy may have been hiding from her?_


	15. Turning Tides

**Sorry for the delay! This chapter ended up being almost 15,000 words, so I decided to split it into two parts. Expect part two up in three days. **

**It took a while to write this chapter because I wanted to revise it and revise it until I finally got it somewhat right. It's a big one, and it plays a part in setting up the rest of the story.**

**A lot of you are probably not going to like the next two chapters, but bear with me. They're necessary. **

**As always, thanks for sticking with me and reading! **

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 15: Turning Tides**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"Ugh, this was not a good idea. This really wasn't a good idea." Gabriella mumbled to herself as she slipped off her shoes and set them on the conveyor belt.

"Here, Mommy!" Caleb thrust his light-up Spiderman sneakers towards his mother and giddily jumped up and down, his tiny hands in fists of anticipation, waiting for his turn to walk through the metal detector. Well, to say he walked through the metal detector would be an understatement.

When the airport security guard finally waved Caleb through, the toddler got his feet in a ready stance before sprinting through the metal detector as fast as his little legs could carry him. Gabriella stared at her son in awe as he laughed joyfully and clapped his hands together on the other side of the detector.

The airport security guard chuckled at the little boy and ruffled his hair. He motioned for Gabriella to go through the metal detector, and the young brunette felt obliged to mouth the word "sorry" as she walked through before she grabbed her toddler around the waist and lifted him into her arms.

"He's adorable! What's his name?" One of the female security guards asked Gabriella as she collected her belongings after they were scanned. Before the brunette could even open her mouth, the little boy spoke up.

"Caleb Bolton," he stated proudly in his baby voice that made his parents cave in to whatever he wanted. A group of security guards nearby started whispering to each other quietly while stealing glances at the mother and son.

"Are you by any chance Troy Bolton's son?" the red-haired security guard asked gently, looking the little boy in the eyes.

Caleb nodded vigorously, "He's my daddy," the toddler explained, and suddenly it was as if the entire airport directed their attention to Gabriella and Caleb. People stopped what they were doing and the group of security guards whispering earlier was now staring at the two with their mouths dropped open in shock.

"You're Troy Bolton's wife?"

"That's really Troy Bolton's son?"

"Are you going to see him play in Chicago?"

"Is he here with you?"

"Did you really forget who Troy was after your accident?"

"Can I have your autograph?"

The questions bombarded Gabriella, making her uncomfortable and stressed. She had just bought plane tickets to Chicago three hours earlier and was trying to make a flight to the Windy City that left in 45 minutes. She did not have time for questions.

Honestly, this really was stupid. Going to see Troy play in Chicago was not one of her brightest ideas. He was only going to be gone a total of about 32 hours, and she would've gotten to see him on TV that night.

But after waking up this morning and rolling over to find her husband missing, Gabriella felt unexplainable tears blur her vision. Troy hadn't even been gone a day and the emotional pain from missing him was nearly too much to handle. She continued to fall deeper into love with Troy every day, but she was desperate not to fall too hard too fast.

Those 7am tears proved to her that she had not successfully put the brakes on her heart.

His morning text message cheered her up a little. Just a simple one, but it improved her mood significantly.

_Merry Christmas, Baby. Wish I was there. I love you._

That message, along with her tears and severe ache in her heart were enough to convince Gabriella that she needed to see Troy, and she couldn't wait until tomorrow when he got home. She needed to do something that she had feared for too long.

She needed to tell him she loved him.

It was as if she couldn't hold it in anymore. She forgot about all her fears of him rejecting her when she said it and focused on saying those three important words to the man she knew she would spend the rest of her life with.

"Okay, okay. Back off people!" The female security guard started shooing the other security personnel away from the young brunette. Gabriella caught a glimpse of her nametag.

"Thank you so much, Sharon. I really appreciate it," Gabriella said as Sharon began to walk her and Caleb to their gate. It was difficult enough to carry a squirming toddler in one arm and both their overnight bags in the other, but to fight through a mob would have been ridiculous.

"Not a problem, sweetheart. You and Troy Bolton did a wonderful job with this little one. He's quite the charmer," Sharon complimented, squeezing Caleb's fat cheek before stopping at gate D12. "Alright, here's your gate. Have a good time in Chicago," Sharon bid farewell, leaving Gabriella in her own world as she contemplated what the security guard had just said.

"_You and Troy Bolton did a wonderful job with this little one."_

Troy Bolton. That's how the whole world knew him. Not Troy, but Troy Bolton. It made Gabriella's stomach clench to think of how well she knew him personally…and physically.

It was completely and obviously noticeable when she was around Troy to anyone who was watching her – she was utterly attracted to her husband. Everything about him made her either want to jump right into his bed or snuggle up close to him and enjoy the feeling of his strong arms wrapped tightly around her...

"Mommy?"

Gabriella awoke from her daydream to see Caleb pointing at a McDonald's stand across the terminal. Quickly checking her watch she decided she could make a run for it and still catch the flight.

"Alright. You hungry? Come on, let's go eat," Gabriella comforted her child as she quickly walked through the terminal, passing newspaper stands and Dunkin' Donuts booths. Over on this side of the airport, fewer people recognized her and Caleb, which made it a lot easier to navigate her way to the McDonald's in only three minutes.

Hoisting her toddler higher up on her hip, Gabriella looked around the airport as she entered the back of the line. There were people running with rolling suitcases, frantically trying to make their flight. Others were chatting on their cell phone while typing away on their laptops.

The brunette's attention was suddenly drawn to one gate that was just boarding. The flight was marked to depart to San Francisco. She watched as a young couple, maybe in their early thirties, joined hands as they walked down the runway and disappeared out of sight.

An uneasy feeling came over Gabriella. The kind of feeling you get when you know someone is watching you. And yet, there was literally no one staring at her and Caleb. The brunette whipped her head around in all directions and couldn't find anyone looking her way.

The only thing her eyes kept returning to was the sign above the departing gate.

_San Francisco._

Why did she feel like there was something important about a flight to San Francisco from Albuquerque?

"Ma'am? What would you like to order?"

The voice of the McDonald's cashier caught Gabriella's attention, and she pushed the lingering thoughts of the flight to the back of her mind as she ordered some nuggets and fries for Caleb.

On the way back to their gate, Gabriella snuck one more glance at the flight departing to San Francisco, and this time, a strange feeling of recognition came over her…

_The terminal was bustling with activity. People were joking with friends, talking animatedly on their cell phones, and enjoying conversation with their children. Christmas decorations lined the walls, with wreaths, ornaments, and holly scattered throughout the airport. _

_Everyone was so happy and cheerful, causing the two young adults sitting uncomfortably in the back of the waiting area to stick out like a sore thumb._

_Gabriella fiddled with her thumbs as Troy ran a hand through his hair for the fifth time in the past three minutes. He wore a pained expression on his face, though Gabriella was trying not to study him._

"_So, how were your finals?" Troy asked cautiously, giving in to an obvious attempt to make small talk with the young woman sitting next to him._

"_I think I did ok. You?" Gabriella answered quietly, avoiding Troy's face at all costs. _

_The brunette couldn't help but sneak a peek at the man sitting to the right of her. He had the light-washed denim jeans that she liked so much and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal about a quarter of his tan arms. Damn it, Troy! He was clearly trying to be extra attractive for her. Why did he have to make this so hard?_

"_I don't know. My Business Law final was pretty straightforward, but my Political Philosophy final was ridiculous. I'm pretty sure I failed it. That and Italian. I was an idiot to think I could learn that language," Troy elaborated, desperately trying to keep the conversation flowing. _

"_I'm sorry to hear that…" Gabriella mumbled, offering no more than those few words. _

_Troy quietly groaned in frustration. Gabriella felt her cheeks flush as she imagined a different kind of groan he had – one she preferred much more._

"_Gabriella…" Troy started softly, only to be interrupted by a businessman sitting on the other side of him. _

"_Hi there," he said brightly. "Talk about the holiday rush. Do you go to school here? Are you excited to go home for the holidays?"_

_Troy looked uncomfortable for a moment before he answered nicely, "Yeah. I uh, actually go to Berkeley. I'm looking forward to going back to New Mexico for a week."_

"_A week?" the balding man look astounded. "I thought they at least gave you kids a month off for the holidays."_

_Troy chuckled, but Gabriella noticed that it didn't reach his eyes. None of his laughs did anymore. _

"_They do, but I'm on the basketball team so I only get a week."_

_The businessman, whose name was later discovered to be Lewis, continued to talk to Troy about basketball for a good ten minutes. Gabriella was able to study the twenty year-old as he got sucked into the discussion. He was absolutely perfect. So perfect it hurt her to think about what he had done..._

…_what she thought he had done, anyway. He still pleaded with her that it never happened. _

_Suddenly she noticed his cell phone sitting on top of his backpack carry-on. Knowing that it was an inappropriate thing to do, but desperately seeking information, Gabriella quietly grabbed the phone and flipped it open to reveal the display screen. _

_Her heart cracked in two as she saw the picture. It wasn't the one she was expecting – the UC Berkeley logo that was the standard display for Troy. Instead, in the three weeks since it had happened, Troy had changed the picture to one of him and her holding each other close and smiling at the beach earlier that year. _

_He must really miss her…_

_Just then, Gabriella's ears perked up as she overheard Lewis ask, "So is that your girlfriend next to you? She's a pretty one."_

_Gabriella frantically placed the phone back on his backpack before Troy glanced over at her discreetly. _

"_Uh…no. We used to date, but…" he trailed off softly, obviously not wanting to talk about it._

"_Your ex?" Lewis asked, "That's too bad… Oh, excuse me. I have to take this call," Lewis lifted himself out of the chair and trudged over to a quieter place to talk on his cell phone. _

"_Troy…"_

"Now boarding for the 1:15 flight to Chicago O'Hare International airport. First class may now proceed to board the plane."

Gabriella awoke from her state of trance with a shocked look on her face, still holding her young son who ate all of his nuggets and fries.

"Miss, are you okay?" an older lady asked as Gabriella remained sitting in her blue chair.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Thanks." She answered politely, slightly distracted as her mind tried desperately to catch up with what she had just remembered.

She knew that Troy had gone to college at UC Berkeley, only to transfer to the University of New Mexico his senior year. And she knew that she attended Stanford, but she had no idea that they broke up. Why would they break up? What could have happened that would separate them? And why was Troy so upset about it? Was she the one that had broken up with him? Why were they flying back home together if they weren't a couple anymore?

These were questions that Gabriella now desperately wanted answers to.

* * *

"Three…two…one…DAMN IT!" Chad swore as Troy managed to penetrate his friend's defense and drive the lane to lay up a shot.

"Sorry, Chad. You just don't have the skills to beat me," Troy joked, tossing the basketball to his other teammate Matt Kramer.

"Yeah? Well at least I have the skills to seduce my wife," Chad joked with Troy, grinning brightly at what he believed was a well played comeback.

"What are you talking about?" Troy asked in a confused voice, stepping closer to his friend so that the rest of the team couldn't overhear their conversation. "I told you we're back together now. You know that we had sex…"

"No, man. That's not it. I finally convinced Taylor to try for a baby!" Chad exclaimed quietly, trying to hold his excitement in.

Troy's face turned to one of shock. "What? How the hell did you manage to do that?" Troy had been so wrapped up in his own relationship changes with Gabriella that he completely forgot about Chad's plan to convince Taylor to have a kid.

"Well, after I came back from our two week road trip, we sat down and I told her how much I wanted to start a family, even though I knew we had agreed to wait until my career died down. She told me she had been reconsidering our deal, too, and we reached a compromise."

"Wow," Troy said in shock. "What was the compromise exactly?"

Chad grinned brightly, "She said that we could start trying for a baby as soon as our season is over. Which is hopefully in June. I don't mind waiting another month and a half if it means we win ourselves the _first ever Redhawks championship_," Chad hollered out the last part, causing a chorus of cheers to come from the rest of the team.

"Well congratulations, man! You did it! Though your comeback still sucked, because I clearly have the skills to seduce my wife. We're back together, aren't we?"

"Yeah, whatever," Chad said grimly, pissed that he had been beat again. "But I'm happy for you. You've been in such a better mood."

"Alright guys, FOCUS! I know it's Christmas but we all have to be here, so give me 100% effort for the next half hour and then we can go back to the hotel. Let's make this a good pre-game shoot-around!" Coach Cohen yelled at his team from the sidelines where reporters were standing by to interview him.

The team resumed their drills and continued to work on plays for another good twenty minutes. The players became sucked into the world of basketball as the only things their mind would focus on had to deal with the orange sphere and either preventing it from entering the hoop or getting it into the basket.

Each player was pumped as they got on the bus to head back to the hotel. That night's game against the Bulls was sure to be a good matchup. Everyone got out their phones to call their respective families as the bus started moving, and Troy was no exception.

Since the minute he woke up this morning all he could think about was his little boy's face as he opened all his Christmas presents, including the ones from Santa. And then he thought of Gabriella, and how much he wanted to be sitting next to her on the couch with her cuddling into him as they watched their son open gifts. Troy loved basketball – a lot – but times like these made him hate his job.

Troy pressed the number 2 speed dial on his phone to call his house. His parents were supposed to be there too. It was already noon.

But to Troy's surprise, no one answered the phone. That was weird. Really weird. They couldn't have gone over to his parents, because all of Caleb's presents were at the house. Everything was closed Christmas Day, so they couldn't be out shopping. It was noon, so it wasn't like they were still sleeping. That only left one possibility in Troy's mind…

…something had happened to Gabriella and Caleb, and they were at the hospital!

Troy's heart flew into overdrive as he pressed the number 3 speed dial on his phone to call Gabriella's cell. He waited for a good 5 rings and got her voicemail message.

"Damn it!" Troy swore and continued down he speed dial to call his mom's cell phone, not caring about the confused look Chad was sending him. Something bad must have happened. This seriously couldn't be happening again. He just got Gabriella back….

"_Troy_?" Lucille's voice sounded surprised.

"Oh God, Mom! Thank you for answering! Are Gabriella and Caleb okay? No one answered the home phone and Gabi isn't answering her cell. Are they -"

"_Troy, they're fine. Gabriella left her cell phone in her room and we didn't get to the home phone in time. We're all fine. Calm down. But I have to get going, okay? Gabriella said she'll call you in an hour or so. Love you, honey. Bye!"_ Lucille quickly ended the call.

"What the hell?" Troy mumbled, looking down at the phone. He suddenly grew suspicious. How could they not have gotten to a phone in time? Weird.

But Gabriella said she would call him. That cheered Troy up immensely. He couldn't wait to hear her voice again…

"So, any special plans for tonight since we're stuck here?" Chad asked in a bored tone, texting Taylor while he spoke.

Christmas was a special occasion for the basketball team. Normally, after an away game the team would fly home that night and not spend any time in the hotel room. However, because it was Christmas Day, and the fact that all the players agreed to let Coach Cohen visit his mother and father in his hometown of Aurora, the team was staying the night in Chicago. It wasn't ideal for anyone, but being part of a family like the Redhawks involved making sacrifices for one another, and that included letting their coach spend the night with his parents.

Even though the players obliged, they all readily admitted that Coach Cohen suggested that idea, not them.

"Actually, yeah. Beth is going to stop by the hotel and we're going to have dinner. She said she doesn't have plans for the evening. I'm looking forward to it. It will be nice to catch up." Troy explained, still fingering the phone in his hands, hoping it would spring to life any second with Gabriella's name.

"Beth? Wow. I didn't even think you stayed in contact with her after what happened…" Chad whispered as if it was some huge secret.

Troy shrugged, "Yeah. What happened wasn't her fault, or mine, or anyone's really. The press just blew it way out of proportion and it caused unnecessary drama for us. And I still feel bad that she's sometimes affected by it. I haven't talked to her in a while so I figured we could talk since I'm in town."

Chad shook his head, "Do you really think that's a good idea? What if you get photographed?"

Troy laughed, "In Chicago? I would be more nervous about Los Angeles. And we're having dinner at the hotel restaurant. It's not like we'll be parading ourselves around public."

Chad grinned, and Troy knew a joke was coming. "Are you going to take her back to your room?"

Troy rolled his eyes, "Real nice, Chad. I wish I could have Gabi in my room tonight…" he sighed.

"Yeah," Chad agreed, "I know what you mean. I feel so bad for Taylor. She's at her parents' today. But she's going home to an empty house tonight. On Christmas. That's why I feel like we need a baby. It gives her company while I'm away so she's not alone all the time."

Troy stared at his friend in shock. "I never knew you could be so sensitive. That is a really good point."

Chad grinned, "I used it on Tay, too. Worked like a charm."

"Hey, Troy! What does this look like to you?"

Troy rolled his eyes at his other teammates as he and Chad joined in their conversation, his hand still fidgeting with the sleek phone the entire bus ride.

* * *

"Do you have a reservation, ma'am?"

Gabriella fidgeted nervously with her purse while she held her toddler in her right arm.

"Well, no. But I saw that you were vacant, and I thought maybe I could get a room on the top floor…"

"That's not possible. The Redhawks basketball team is staying on the top floor. There's only one more room up there available and we are certainly not going to give it out to some random fan of theirs. However, I can set you up on any of the other floors…." The concierge said in a bored tone.

After enduring the four hour plane ride, Gabriella was desperately trying to get a room on the same floor as Troy. She figured it would be easier to spend time with him that way and not take him away from his team.

But Gabriella sighed in defeat, knowing that there was no way she was going to get a room on the top floor. "Alright. Any room will do."

Caleb wiggled in her arms to get down as the concierge started putting together her bill. Gabriella set her toddler down on his feet but kept a tight grasp on his tiny hand. Caleb tended to cause mischief when he traveled, which Gabriella learned very quickly after buckling him in on the plane. To put it lightly, traveling with Caleb was not a walk in the park – not even an intense run.

"Now if I could just see your credit card so we have it on file…"

Gabriella dug through her purse to give the concierge her MasterCard. He looked at the name and began typing it into the computer when he suddenly stopped, his eyes growing wide and a deep red blush forming on his cheeks.

"Bolton? Gabriella Bolton? Are you family of Troy Bolton?" he asked cautiously, as if he was scared to find out the answer.

"Um…" Gabriella answered uncomfortably. Even in Chicago people knew who her husband was. This was absolutely insane. "Yeah. I'm his wife."

The concierge immediately broke out into a flood of apologies, "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Bolton. I had no idea. I didn't mean to call you a random fan. That was so inconsiderate of me. I can't believe-"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. What room are we in again?" Gabriella questioned, feeling slightly uncomfortable from all the apologies.

"I will happily book you in the last open room on the top floor. The number is 903. I am so sorry for the confusion. I really hope I haven't ruined your experience at the Hilton."

"Of course not. And thank you for your help." Gabriella muttered, grabbing her room key and rushing away from the desk to avoid any more apologies.

The trek up to the 9th floor with a toddler in her arms and their bags wasn't easy, but Gabriella felt that it was more than worth the effort when she opened the door to 903. It may be costing her a hell of a lot more money than she wanted to spend, but the room was certainly top quality.

The room was warmed with light gold paint on the walls and complementing furniture of a slightly darker shade. It wasn't one of the standard rooms you would find at a basic hotel, or even on the lower floors. This room was a suite. The pale red sofa sat in the middle of the living room, right in front of a dazzling fireplace. Three windows lit up the room with natural light and an incredible view of downtown. A sophisticated iron chandelier hung in the middle of the room, and made it feel as if she was in some mansion.

And even though Gabriella was astounded by the nice things that surrounded her, a new feeling swept at her nerves as she glanced around the room.

She could have this.

She could have all of it.

With Troy's salary, and even hers helping out, they could live in a place like this. A mansion, with chandeliers in every room and beautiful views from the windows. She could have designer furniture and expensive paintings. Everything…

But one thing brought her back to reality.

"Mommy! Look it's Daddy!" Caleb cheered excitedly from what she assumed to be the bedroom. He must have snuck off and turned on the television.

Gabriella smiled softly to herself, knowing that she didn't need chandeliers in every room of her house, and she didn't need to have 20 bedrooms when she had the two most important things in the world already. As long as she had Caleb and Troy, she would always be happy.

"You're right. That is Daddy. And the game is starting in less than an hour, so we have to get going!" she tickled her son's stomach gently, causing him to burst into a fit of giggles.

"Okay!" Caleb cheered and jumped into Gabriella's arms. The brunette grabbed her purse and her key card and walked out of her temporary home.

Caleb burrowed his head in his mom's neck as she walked them toward the elevator.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked gently, trying to catch her toddler's eyes.

"I love you, Mommy," Caleb said quietly, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Gabriella's heart melted and she squeezed her toddler tighter to her.

"I love you too, honey."

* * *

"Dude, Troy, calm down, man. It's not your fault," Chad said forcefully to his best friend, who was clenching his hair in his hands.

"Two technical fouls? I'm pretty sure both were my fault." Troy seethed, fighting off anger that he knew would make him do something he would regret.

"I _mean_ it's not your fault we lost. Sure, it would've helped had you been able to play the last ten minutes, but it happens, man. We all get pissed off at the ref's calls…"

"That's no excuse for getting myself kicked out of the game! For hurting my team! This just… fuck!" Troy slammed his fist against one of the locker room's walls. "On Christmas Day, too! God I just want to get out of here," Troy complained, standing up and grabbing his duffel bag.

Chad followed his friend in silence as he walked to the team's bus. Troy was pissed off. _Really_ pissed off. Chad couldn't even believe it when Troy started going off about a bad call. Sure, the ref shouldn't have called an offensive foul on him when he drove the lane, especially since the Chicago player's feet were off the ground for the block, but Troy never was one to argue. He was normally very calm out on the court and would just talk it over with the refs in a civil manner.

But when Troy got that offensive foul, it was the start of a horrible train wreck. One that led to his first technical, and then very soon after, a second one which removed him from the game.

And the pissed off mood didn't end on the court.

"Dude, what's got a stick up your ass? Why are you so angry? You're normally not like this," Chad asked cautiously, knowing his friend was unstable right now.

"I don't know," Troy sighed in defeat, his normal demeanor starting to overshadow the temporary anger. "Well, I guess I do know. It's not a big deal. I know it isn't, but I was _so_ excited all fucking day, waiting for it, and it never came…"

"What never came," Chad asked, confused as to what his friend was talking about.

"A call from Gabriella," Troy sighed, putting his hand over his face. "I texted her this morning and never got anything back. She didn't answer her cell phone or the home phone. I left her a voicemail nearly 5 hours ago and she still hasn't called back."

"Troy, I-"

"No, Chad. I know. It's stupid to be so upset about not hearing from her. It's just pissing me off because I was excited about it. And then game time comes and I still don't hear from her. I miss her, Chad. I _really_ miss her. And I thought she felt the same way about me. I really did. The past five days have been amazing. We sleep in the same bed again, and cuddle on the couch. I can finally kiss her, and it's just been…wonderful. To have her back even though she doesn't remember me was more than I could've ever hoped for. And now, when I leave for a day and she doesn't call…it just reminds me of that. The fact that she's not the same person that she was before the accident. She's not my…Brie. She's still the love of my life and my wife, and I will love her forever, but…I don't know, man. The old Gabriella would have called me. Several times today. She would have kept me on the phone while Caleb opened presents, and she would've told me over and over how much she missed me and loved me…"

"Yeah, but she's-"

"I know, Chad. She's not the same Gabriella. She doesn't even…_love me_ like I love her. She hasn't been able to say it back yet. And that's totally understandable, but it still hurts. I'm more than happy to have her back in my life. To be able to love her and to feel affection from her. But it's like I've been living in a fantasy world for the past week or so. Just because Gabriella's with me again, doesn't mean that she's the same. I'm _so_ happy, believe me, but not getting that phone call today made me realize that I'm still mourning the loss of my wife. I've been so concerned about getting back together with Gabriella and making her feel comfortable with our relationship that I had completely forgotten about her trying to get her memory back. And according to the doctor…" Troy stopped talking, choking up a little bit.

Chad stared at his friend with sympathy. He never knew Troy felt this way. The captain must have been putting up a front, desperate to show the world that he was fine. To show Gabriella that he was fine. But he wasn't. He never had been. Ever since the day of the accident, a little part of him had died along with Gabriella's memory.

"…according to the doctor, that's probably never going to happen," Troy finished, staring out the window.

"Troy, you can't give up hope. I know it's hard but think of the one _huge_ positive that came out of the accident. _She's alive_. Gabriella survived what could have easily been a fatal crash. You still have your wife. No, she's not the same, but in time she will love you, and she will always be with you. She's still the mother of your child and the girl you fell in love with, she's just like a 16 year old version." Chad encouraged as the bus pulled up to the Hilton.

"I know…" Troy sighed, grabbing his duffel bag and standing up to exit the bus.

"You still love her, right?" Chad asked, studying his friend.

"More than anything. I would do anything for her…" Troy stated confidently, the ache in his heart growing. He really didn't want to spend the night in Chicago. He just wanted to be with Gabriella to ease his doubts and worries. She could always make them go away.

"Then that's all that matters."

* * *

Gabriella held on to her toddler's tiny hand as they both entered the Hilton around nine o'clock that night. She was really starting to feel the exhaustion taking over her, and Caleb had been ready for bed about an hour ago. They had both woken up early that morning to open presents, socialized with Troy's parents until they encouraged Gabriella to go to Chicago, endured a four hour plane ride, busy city traffic, and sat through an intense and disappointing basketball game.

And she hadn't even been able to talk to Troy yet.

Just before the game Gabriella realized that she had never turned on her phone after getting off the flight. She found a few missed calls and two voicemails, one of which was from Troy.

_Hey, Gabriella. It's me, Troy. I talked to my mom earlier today and she said that you were going to give me a call around…I guess 1pm-ish? Um…it's totally fine that you didn't call, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright, and I guess just to see how things went this morning with Caleb. I miss you both…so much. I'd love to talk to you before the game, Gab. Sorry I missed you. I wish I was there. Love you._

Gabriella immediately felt guilty for not calling him. But she had never told Lucille that she was going to call him. She listened to the second voicemail.

_Hi Gabi. It's Lucille. I just got off the phone with Troy and he wanted to talk to you, but I told him you weren't available. I know you're probably on the plane right now but just be sure to maybe give him a call when you land? Thanks honey. Hope you and Caleb have a great time in Chicago! _

Crap. That would have been a good thing to hear a little bit earlier. But it was too late to call him. The game had just been starting and Gabriella was too entranced by Troy to even think about leaving him a message on his cell phone.

Gabriella picked up her toddler and carried him on her hip. She walked over to the hotel gift shop to buy a carton of juice for his bedtime drink, and a couple of crackers for him to munch on in the morning until they got to the airport and had breakfast.

Gabriella was making her way towards the elevators when she saw the entire Redhawks basketball team walk into the hotel lobby. Quickly ducking behind the water wall in the center of the foyer, Gabriella observed the men, including Troy and Chad, circle up around their coach.

"Alright guys, tonight was a tough game, but it's one loss. Remember that. We have a great season going and we're going to get it back in the next one. Now get some sleep and be ready to leave for the airport at 5am sharp," Coach Cohen said, dismissing his team with a wave of his hand. All of the men walked towards the elevators where Gabriella had just been, probably to go up to their rooms. Troy and Chad stayed behind in the lobby.

"So when is Beth coming for dinner?" Chad asked quietly, but loud enough for Gabriella to hear.

_Beth? Who is Beth?_

"In like, fifteen minutes. You're welcome to join us if you want, man," Troy answered, clutching his black phone in his hand.

"Nah. I'm going to go call Taylor and talk to her for a while. I'll probably be sleeping when you get back to the room…"

"Alright. I'll try to be quiet," Troy smirked, suggesting that he would not try very hard.

"Oh, I'm sure. Because you're just_ so_ considerate like that," Chad snorted before leaving for the elevators.

Troy stood there, fiddling with his phone. Gabriella was just about to go up and talk to him when he suddenly made a move to go towards the hotel restaurant.

"God, I need a drink," he muttered, heading toward the bar. Gabriella stood there, holding a sleeping Caleb on her hip, and watched him walk away. She debated going after him. She really wanted to figure out who this Beth character was. And why was Troy having dinner with her?

But her toddler was wiped out. And frankly, so was she. Maybe the sleuthing would have to wait for tomorrow.

Gabriella turned around to head to the elevators when she ran into a smirking Chad.

"Gabriella…" he said slyly, standing in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest, his stance wide apart. She wasn't going anywhere.

"Hey…Chad. How are you?" Gabriella said hesitantly. She was surprised when the man engulfed her (and inevitably her toddler, too) in a large hug.

"What are you doing here? Troy's going to freak. He's been missing you all day…" Chad said, a smile breaking out on his face.

"Well," Gabriella started before turning her attention to the tall blonde who just entered the hotel lobby. She must've been around 5'10" and wore a tight black cocktail dress that hugged her curves perfectly. Damn, that was probably Beth.

"Um… I missed him a lot, too. And I thought it would be fun to fly up and see his game today. I was going to surprise him but it sounded like he had plans, just listening to your conversation a couple of minutes ago…" Gabriella muttered the last part, embarrassed that she had been listening in.

"Oh, Gabi, that's nothing. He's not-"

"It's okay Chad," Gabriella interrupted. Would you mind watching Caleb for me? Just for ten minutes or so. I want to say hi to Troy."

Chad nodded, "Sure. It'll give me Daddy practice." He grinned at the thought. "I'll take him back to my room and let him sleep for a while. We're in 901."

"Daddy practice? Right…Okay, I'm in 903. But I'll be there soon." Gabriella handed her son off to Chad after kissing him lightly on the forehead. "Thanks Chad." She smiled, and then turned to walk toward the hotel restaurant.

A feeling of dread swept over her. What if there was another girl? Gabriella wouldn't have known, but if made perfect sense. Of course Troy wouldn't have wanted to go without sex for so many months. But why someone in Chicago?

Gabriella chest clenched painfully. This couldn't be happening…

The young brunette stood at the entrance of the restaurant, keeping a low profile by casually standing behind the half wall that separated the booths from the main entrance of the bar and grill.

She was right. That blonde had to be Beth.

Beth tapped Troy on the shoulder and he whipped around to face her, a smile taking over his face.

Gabriella watched as Troy stood up from his barstool and gave her a long hug. Her state of shock continued as she watched them laugh about something Troy said as a waitress seated them in a booth.

Who the hell was this girl? Was Troy really cheating on her? She couldn't even believe it. He had seemed so perfect the past five days. Telling her how much he loved her, how glad he was to be with her again. It didn't make any sense. Why was he with this girl?

Gabriella whipped out her cell phone to send him a quick text message.

_Hey, Troy. Just got your vmail. Sorry I didn't answer. Can't wait to see you!_

She waited a couple of seconds before she saw Troy reach into his pocket and glance down at his lap. He looked back up at Beth quickly, and Gabriella was disappointed that there was no smile on his face. There was no expression at all. What was going on? They were fine before he left. Everything was perfect…

Gabriella's phone vibrated seconds later and she opened the text message from Troy.

_Tell Caleb I said goodnight._

_What?_ What kind of message was that? Gabriella was kidding herself, she knew exactly what kind of message it was – a cold, formal, detached message. Troy didn't want to talk to her. Oh, God.

Gabriella felt nauseous. She couldn't watch Troy's date anymore, so she dragged herself out to the lobby and sat down on a sofa. So many things were running through her head that she couldn't even comprehend them.

Troy was with another woman tonight. He sent her a cold text message. She had never heard of Beth…

All signs that he was cheating.

But then, she lost her memory, so of course she wouldn't have heard of Beth. And then why was Troy so happy to be back together?

This frustrated Gabriella even more, until her mind showed her an unfamiliar memory…

"_You trust me, right Baby?" Troy said, holding both of Gabriella's hands in his, staring straight into her eyes. _

"_Of course. I just don't understand some things…" _

"_Then let me explain them to you. I love you, Gabriella. Please, just trust me. I love you so much and I would never hurt you like that." Troy pleaded, kissing her forehead softly._

"What the hell?" Gabriella muttered to herself, trying to figure out what she just remembered.

Gabriella suddenly heard a familiar voice approaching the lobby from the direction of the restaurant.

"Gabriella?"

The brunette snapped her head up to meet the wide eyes of her husband, standing alone in his postgame suit. His eyes were filled with confusion, but with obvious happiness mixed in. She almost broke into tears at the thought of him being with this Beth girl, and not her. She had grown so attached to his beautiful blue eyes, the soft locks of his brown hair. His strong arms keeping her safe and his…love for her?

"Um. Hi, Troy." Gabriella mumbled, not sure how to act around him now that she knew of his secret affair.

"What are you doing here?" Troy asked, probably still trying to convince himself that his wife was sitting in front of him and not back home in Albuquerque.

"I decided to fly up and watch your game," Gabriella mumbled. Troy took a second to contemplate her answer before he dropped to his knees in front of her chair so he could be at her eye level. His grin spread so wide it made Gabriella's chest ache. Why was he so happy to see her?

"I can't believe you're here!" Troy exclaimed, wrapping her in a huge hug and pulling her tight to his body. "I missed you so much, Baby."

Gabriella desperately tried to push herself closer to Troy. To his comfort and his warmth. She knew this may be the last time she would ever get to touch him like this. If Troy wanted to be with other women, she wasn't going to stop him. But one thing was for sure - she wasn't willing to share Troy. He couldn't be with her _and_ with this Beth girl. It just hurt too much.

But for now, she had him. And she couldn't deny how much she missed him in the past twenty-four hours.

"I missed you, too. So did Caleb." Gabriella burrowed her head in Troy's neck as he lifted her into a standing position. His lips grazed her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Is Caleb here, too?" he asked hopefully, running a hand down Gabriella's side.

"Yeah. Chad's watching him right now in your room." The brunette commented, closing her eyes in complete pleasure as Troy pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Do you have a room here?" he asked gently, placing a delicate kiss on her cheek, and then one right below her eye.

"Yeah. 903," Gabriella gasped as Troy squeezed her thigh, and she curled her arms underneath his shoulders and around the tops of them to push herself tighter to his chest.

"Take me back to your room?" Troy asked, letting out a tiny groan as Gabriella pressed a kiss to his neck.

Gabriella hesitated. Did she really want to be alone with Troy right now? Judging by the way things were going, there was no way she was going to be able to deny him tonight. He was going to have his way with her, and she couldn't wait.

Maybe Troy wasn't sleeping with Beth? God, she really hoped that was the case.

Gabriella felt Troy's gaze on her and looked back into his eyes. He leaned down to press a trail of kisses along the top of her forehead, down the side of her face, and paused just before her lips.

He looked at her eyes again, trying to read an expression. Gabriella didn't know what her face was giving off but Troy suddenly pulled away and grabbed her hand. He led her over to an open elevator and stepped inside.

They were both silent the entire ride up to the 9th floor. Troy held Gabriella's hand firmly, their fingers intertwined.

Gabriella couldn't understand why Troy had stopped his caresses. Did he finally realize that she wasn't Beth? That she wasn't his wife, but instead the girl who forgot everything?

Troy led her down the hall and stopped in front of room 903. He held his hand out to Gabriella, silently asking for her key card. Gabriella surrendered it without a thought and was escorted into the room willingly.

Troy shut the door, locking it behind him. He set the key card on the table and leaned his body against the wall, studying his wife. Gabriella stood motionless, staring back at him. Desperately trying to figure out what was going on.

After a few moments, Troy finally moved, a small smile forming on his lips. He strode towards her and cupped her cheek in his hand. And after pressing a light kiss to her forehead, he lowered his lips to hers.

That was it. Gabriella was gone. She couldn't fight him anymore. As much as she wanted to keep her distance from Troy, as much as she wanted to hate him because he had been with another girl, in that moment she couldn't. She loved him too much.

Troy pulled her into the bedroom and lowered her on the bed, keeping their lips connected. Gabriella felt her eyes flutter close as she felt Troy's weight on top of her, not heavy enough to crush her, but just enough to want to be closer to him.

Gabriella lifted herself up and started removing Troy's suit. He helped her with the jacket and tie, never breaking eye contact. Gabriella unbuttoned his crisp white shirt and felt herself give in to his clearly defined abs. She ran her fingers up them, slightly smiling at the groan Troy let out from the feeling.

Troy then tugged at her own blouse, and Gabriella let him pull it over her head and discard the red item on the floor. He then pulled her close, rubbing their noses together intimately before molding their lips together again.

Gabriella felt Troy's hand travel up her side and underneath her bra to cup her breast. She sighed in pure contentment at the feeling of his hands on her. The brunette closed her eyes at the sensations, enjoying the things that Troy could make her feel. She felt his lips leave hers and graze against her ear before she heard him say the words he seemed so comfortable with…

"I love you," he murmured, kissing the area of skin just below the ear. "So much."

In that moment, Gabriella knew she had to tell him. Even if he was seeing other women, maybe these words would convince Troy to be faithful to her.

Gabriella put both hands on Troy's chest to push him away. She focused her gaze on his now confused eyes that were slowly filling with hurt.

"Troy," she started softly, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I need to tell you something."

Troy's eyes widened a little bit, as if he suddenly realized what she was going to say to him. Hope masked the confusion and Troy cupped her cheek in his hand. "Yeah?"

Gabriella smiled, mimicking his actions by caressing his cheek as well. She was so nervous, but she had to do this. Even if Troy rejected her, at least she knew that she tried everything to win him over.

Gabriella took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

"I lo-"

A sudden rapping on the door caused Gabriella to stop in mid-sentence. Troy looked at her with a desperate expression. He glanced at the door quickly and then back at Gabriella.

"What were you going to say?" He asked gently, trying to persuade her to say the three words he thought she might be trying to get out.

"I…uh…nevermind," Gabriella dismissed it as she got up from underneath Troy and walked around the bed to grab her shirt. The rapping on the door got louder and both Troy and Gabriella could hear Chad's calls from the other side.

"Gabriella, _please_," Troy pleaded, getting off the bed and moving towards her to grab her hips. "What were you going to say?"

"Nothing, Troy. Don't worry about it. Chad's at the door," she muttered, trying to avoid his penetrating gaze.

"Fuck Chad, Gabi. He can wait. Please, _tell me._ What were you trying to say?" he asked again, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before regaining eye contact with her.

"It doesn't matter, Troy," Gabriella said as she walked away from her husband and into the living room to answer the door. Troy followed in nothing but his dress pants.

"It _does_ matter, Gabriella. I want to know. Please…" Troy begged, grabbing her arm before she could open the door. Gabriella shook his hand off.

"I said it was nothing. Don't worry about it," Gabriella turned away from Troy and started unlocking the door. She caught her husband's hurt expression and exasperated sigh. He knew what she was going to say. It was written in his face, and he desperately wanted to hear her say it. Gabriella wanted to tell him, but not like this. Not with Chad on the other side of the door, banging excessively. She wanted to take her time, to do it right.

The door opened to reveal the obvious, Chad and Caleb. The little toddler immediately squirmed from his Uncle Chad's arms and reached for Gabriella.

"Sorry. He was getting a little antsy. He wanted to see you Gabriella," Chad apologized, his eyes widening when the door opened wider to reveal Troy dressed in nothing but his dress pants.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything," Chad swore loudly, forgetting about the toddler two feet away from him. Gabriella gave him a stern look. "Oh, right. Caleb…sorry, Gabs."

"Nah. It's alright, man," Troy shrugged it off, still wearing a frustrated expression.

At the sound of his father's voice, Caleb suddenly realized his Daddy was there, and screeched in happiness.

"DADDY!"

Troy's frown turned into a smile, and he chuckled as Caleb tried to get out of Gabriella's arms. She handed her son to his father and watched with a smile as the little boy gave him a big hug.

"Aw, I missed you Caleb. Were you good for Mommy today?" Troy asked seriously, looking at his toddler.

"Very good!" Caleb grinned, and Gabriella snorted. He wasn't horrible, but he wasn't an angel either.

Troy shot a quick smile towards Gabriella, acknowledging that Caleb was exaggerating his good behavior. He then kissed the little boy on the forehead and walked him to the couch.

"I want to hear all about what you got from Santa, buddy," Troy said excitedly, sitting down on the couch with Caleb on his lap so the toddler could talk to him.

Chad left quickly after handing off Caleb, and Gabriella quietly watched her son and Troy. She studied her husband as he talked animatedly with his son.

How could someone so amazing and special be capable of cheating on her? Troy – the man who excessively said "I love you" the past five days and who looked so broken without her. How could he do this? And how long had this been going on?

Gabriella mentally scolded herself. Before she made accusations, she needed to find out who Beth was and if Troy really _was_ cheating with her.

"Gabriella? Are you okay?"

The brunette's eyes widened in innocence at her husband's caring voice. Troy stood in front of her with Caleb tightly secured in one arm, his head resting against his father's shoulder. The toddler was fast asleep.

"Of course," Gabriella answered.

Troy studied her for a moment before sighing gently, running his free hand through his hair. "When are you heading back?"

"We fly out at 6 tomorrow morning." Gabriella was trying desperately to keep her mind on the conversation at hand, and not on Troy's scorching eyes.

"Oh, okay. I have to take off a little later than that, but I'll see you at home within two hours or so. That's not too bad…" Troy trailed off, looking like he wanted to say something else. His cheeks suddenly became flushed.

That made Gabriella forget about all her worries. Troy was _so adorable_ when he blushed. It astounded her that she could make him feel insecure and embarrassed. That's not what she wanted at all. But it was so cute, nonetheless. She could make this strong, sexy man blush. Wow.

"Um…I'll just head back to Chad's then. Goodnight, Gabi," Troy mumbled, stepping around his wife and heading towards the door.

"Did you want to stay here?" Gabriella asked, catching onto the fact that Troy was probably too embarrassed to ask her outright.

"Are you okay with that?" Troy asked gently, turning around and walking back towards Gabriella.

"Of course. Caleb's going to sleep in the bed though. I promised him he could earlier so he would eat his fruit cup on the plane."

"That's fine," Troy smiled, suddenly in a much better mood. "I'm going to put him down and then go get my stuff from my room. I'll be back in 20 minutes max…"

"Okay. Take your time."

Troy quickly tucked the toddler into the bed and then came back out to the main room. He leaned down to give Gabriella a short, intimate kiss on the lips before smiling brightly at her and leaving to get his luggage.

Gabriella wasn't sure she was comfortable with this. She seriously needed to figure out what was going on before she jumped into a deep relationship with Troy. Because it was going to happen. Gabriella had no doubt about that. Everything Troy did made her fall in love with him even more. It was getting dangerous.

And that was what prompted Gabriella to grab her laptop and open up her Google homepage once her husband left the room. As she typed in the words, "Troy Bolton", she had no idea she was doing something that she would regret…


	16. The Unbelievable

Part 2, as promised! I understand that some of you are frustrated with the added drama, but stick with me and we can see how Gabriella and Troy work through it.

This will not be your favorite chapter, just a warning. Next update will come very soon! Enjoy! And as always, thanks so much for your feedback. It means the world and helps make me a better writer.

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 16: The Unbelievable**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"Where's Caleb? Is he with Troy's parents?"

"No. We found a daycare for him a couple of blocks from the house. It's run by a really nice lady that happens to be one of Lucille's good friends. Troy and I felt it would be better to enroll Caleb there because it's something permanent. No matter what day of the week it is, every morning I drive him there before work, or Troy drives him there before practice, whichever is later. I think it was hard on Caleb to stay with Lucille some days, and then come to the company daycare with me on others. We wanted to give him some stability." Gabriella commented.

The brunette and her best friend Taylor were sitting in Sonja's Coffee House, a local coffee shop that Taylor had become quite fond of. It was already 12:45 in the afternoon on December 26th, but Gabriella needed to talk to Taylor.

"That sounds like a good idea. When did he start?" Taylor asked.

"Today, actually. I dropped him off as soon as I got home from the airport. He was really upset about having to go, and I swear I almost started crying when I got in the car to drive away, but I think it will be really good for him. My company's daycare had older children, and now Caleb has kids to play with that are his age…"

"Wow," Taylor said, taking a sip of her latte. "You've had quite a day so far. Flying home from Chicago this morning, dropping your kid off at daycare, going into work for two hours - which it's ridiculous that you even have to work today, by the way - and now you finally get a break."

Gabriella sighed. She was certainly feeling it. Not only did she wake up insanely early this morning to get to the airport, but she also had a horrible night sleep. Not that being in bed with Troy was bad, because it never was. She loved the way he held her close to him throughout the night as if he was protecting her from all of the evils in the world. She felt safe with Troy. But she couldn't stop thinking about what she read on the internet. And she desperately needed to talk to someone about it.

"Thank God for the lunch hour," Gabriella giggled. "And thanks for coming. I wanted to talk to you."

Taylor grinned, scooting her chair in a little. "I've wanted to talk to you, too."

Gabriella's eyebrows rose at the excited expression on Taylor's face. "What's going on, Tay?" the brunette asked slowly, wondering what could make her friend so happy.

"Well…" Taylor paused, taking another sip of her drink. Gabriella smiled at her obvious attempt to be dramatic. "…Chad and I are going to try for a baby."

Gabriella's mouth fell open at her friend's words. "What? I thought you didn't want to have children for a while?"

Taylor blushed. "I know, but…you know Chad. He drives me crazy but for some reason I just couldn't resist him. During his two week road trip he had written up a list of reasons why we should have kids now and not in five or six years like I wanted to. He explained every single one to me and then hit me with one of those puppy dog looks. And then he told me that he would love me no matter what my decision was," Taylor rolled her eyes after she said that. "Seriously? How was I supposed to say no after that?"

"So that's why Chad said watching Caleb for me would give him 'Daddy practice'," Gabriella laughed, before growing serious again. "Do you want to have kids, or are you just doing this for Chad?" The sun streaming in from the windows gave the tiny café a warm vibe, a nice change from the intense conversation the two women were having.

"At first I thought I was just doing this for Chad. I mean, I wanted to have kids, but I also wanted to have a career. But the more I think about it, the more excited I get. It's crazy that Chad and I are hopefully going to have a baby soon. And I keep remembering his face when I said yes," Taylor laughed, smiling brightly at the memory. "He looked as happy as he did when I accepted his marriage proposal."

Gabriella giggled. "Aw… you guys are so cute together. I'm so happy you found each other."

"Thanks, Gabriella. I'm glad we did, too. We're total opposites, but I think that's what makes it work. We argue all the time, but deep down we love each other more than anything. And making up is always nice, you know…" Taylor grinned. "But speaking of cute couples… I haven't talked to you in a couple of days. Chad had to tell me that you and Troy _finally_ slept together. But I forgave you for that when you explained to me what happened the next day. But since then…what's been happening?"

Gabriella remained quiet for a moment, casting her gaze on the table. "Well…I don't know. It's been amazing, perfect really. And then…yesterday happened."

"What happened yesterday?" Taylor furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, setting her drink down and giving Gabriella her full attention. The brunette knew her friend had caught on to the fact that she had asked her here because of something serious.

"First you have to promise me that anything said from now on stays between us, and only us. Okay?" Gabriella asked, nervous about opening up.

"Of course," Taylor promised.

"Well, you know I went to Chicago to see him play. I wanted to surprise him, so I waited in the hotel lobby with Caleb. And when he came in, he was talking to Chad about something I had never heard about…"

Taylor nodded encouragingly. "What were they talking about?"

"Troy mentioned having dinner with this girl…Beth. I had never heard of her before…Tay? Are you alright?"

Taylor had frozen, her eyes widening at the mention of the name Beth. "Gabriella…" she started in a frightened tone, shaking her head back and forth.

She didn't say anything else, so Gabriella continued talking.

"Um…anyway…I kind of followed Troy to the restaurant after a tall blonde walked into the hotel lobby. And sure enough, she went straight over to Troy and gave him a huge hug. They seemed really happy to see each other…" Gabriella trailed off as Taylor started shaking her head more obviously.

"Gabi, you don't understand…"

"I know, Tay. I don't understand. But I'm insecure with our relationship. _You_ know that. We just got back together. Literally _just_ got back together, so of course my mind became flooded with questions. The fact that I don't remember anything doesn't help my trust issues either…"

"You don't trust Troy?" Taylor seemed to have a look of shock on her face.

"No, it's not that. I do trust Troy. Well, I thought I did. And then this happened and it's like all my trust went out the window…" Gabriella explained, trying to keep herself from crying. This entire situation was really hard on her.

Taylor let out a big sigh. "Wow. Well, what else happened?"

Gabriella suddenly became a little nervous. Taylor looked like she couldn't believe what Gabriella was saying, almost like she was a bad person for saying it.

"It's okay. You can tell me." Taylor encouraged, though the wary look was still on her face.

"I saw them sit down at a booth and have dinner. I only stayed for a minute after they sat down because I couldn't stand seeing Troy with the woman I believed…he may have been…well…cheating with." Gabriella admitted, somewhat embarrassed.

Taylor's mouth hung open in shock now. She blinked a couple of times to compose herself before looking at her friend. "Is that it?"

Gabriella shook her head, her curls bouncing with her ponytail. "I honestly suspected the worst. I mean, it didn't seem like a friendly dinner to me. She was dressed nicely and Troy was still in his postgame suit, so I felt like it wasn't a casual thing between friends. And then…"

"And then…?" Taylor questioned, leaning forward onto her elbows.

"And then Troy and I met up and everything seemed like it always had. He was so happy to see me and he didn't act weird. But I still had my doubts. So when he left to go pack up all his stuff, I took out my computer and…googled him."

"You googled him?" Taylor clarified.

"Yeah. I typed in 'Troy Bolton' and got a bunch of stuff about basketball, like the Redhawks website and different charity functions he's attended and all that stuff. I wasn't looking for that, though. I was looking for information on the Beth girl. I thought maybe some website on the internet would know. So, I opened Troy's Wikipedia page…"

Taylor grinned, her first smile since the beginning of the intense conversation. "Wikipedia? Really Gab?"

Gabriella had to giggle at how weird it sounded. "Yeah. I know. But I was desperate, and I did kind of find something out…"

"What was it?" Taylor asked curiously.

"Well, I was reading the section on Troy's personal life, and it said the obvious. You know, only child of Jack and Lucille, married high school sweetheart, has one son… But then it said for a brief period of time Troy was speculated to be cheating on me with Beth Knoll, the daughter of the Chicago Bulls coach Dan Knoll, after the two were heading into the same hotel late at night after one of the Redhawks games against the Bulls…

"So obviously, seeing that broke my heart. It completely confirmed what I had been afraid of – that Troy was cheating, or had cheated on me. So I looked up 'Troy Bolton and Beth Knoll' or whatever on Google and found a bunch of pictures of them together, most of them paparazzi shots that showed them entering the 'scandalous' hotel. I found a couple of news stories too, a lot from the local newspapers. One of them said that Troy and Beth had a secret affair after he married me, but that they were only good friends now. Another article stated that Beth and Troy were secretly seeing each other and Troy had plans to divorce me and marry her. But the worst one…ugh…

"The worst one said that Troy had a one night stand with Beth and she got pregnant. She decided to have the baby but Troy didn't want to leave me, so he flies out to Chicago every couple of weeks to see his daughter. It said that they remained good friends. Unfortunately that article made the most sense. Troy flies all the time. I know it's for basketball but he could easily be going to Chicago and I wouldn't know it. And then them being friends would explain why they looked so happy to see each other…"

"Gabriella," Taylor cut in with an irritated look on her face, "I am going to say this and I'm only going to say this once. Troy doesn't know I know; only Chad is supposed to know. I don't even think you know…or knew, I guess. But Gabriella, there is _no_ possible way that Troy got Beth pregnant, because he _literally, seriously, honestly_…hasn't slept with _anyone else_ since he met you…"

Gabriella's heart stopped beating. What? That was like…eight years. Eight years, completely devoted to her…? Even when they weren't even thinking about marriage? Oh God, there went her heart again.

"Yeah," Taylor answered Gabriella's unspoken question. "Even when you guys broke up junior year of college, he still didn't sleep with anyone. Didn't even date another girl."

"We broke up junior year?" Gabriella asked curiously, her mind drifting back to her San Francisco memory that came over her at the airport.

"Um…I'll let Troy tell you about that. It's not really my place to say…" Taylor trailed off. "But seriously, Gabriella, they are all paparazzi stories. I swear to you, Beth is the daughter of the Chicago Bulls' coach, but she and Troy never slept together. She was interested in him, and at the time Troy was considering being traded to the Bulls so that he could make more money. This was during the second year of his NBA career. He only signed a one-year contract with the Hawks because he was so in demand as a player, he wanted to keep his options open. So yeah, he spent a lot of time in Chicago. He got to know Beth real well, too. But Gabriella, you've got to believe me, nothing happened. The pictures of them walking into a hotel at night, it's nothing. They were just going to a meeting with the Bulls' owner. All the rumors are just that, rumors. None of it is true…"

"But why would everyone think they were sleeping together then?" Gabriella asked, still confused about the entire situation.

"Gabriella, Beth _was _interested in Troy. Notice the _past tense_. She's dating some rich businessman now and is extremely happy. But she went after Troy. He used to talk to Chad about how uncomfortable it made him, but that he didn't want to worry you so he never mentioned it. One day, though, Beth succeeded in getting a kiss on the lips from Troy. She tricked him or something. I don't know the whole story, but apparently it was just out of the blue. And honey, that boy is so in love with you…" Taylor stopped to shake her head and smile. "…the night he came back from Chicago he stopped by our house and started pacing the floor, ranting about how he couldn't live without you if you decided to leave him because of the kiss. It would've been quite funny if he hadn't been so sincerely worried about what you would say…"

"Why are they friends then? I don't understand? Wasn't Troy upset that Beth kissed him?" she asked curiously.

"Troy was upset, but he's such a softie, Gabriella. He forgave her after how embarrassed she was when he told her he wasn't interested. The problem was the paparazzi got a hold of their 'relationship' and immediately blew it _way_ out of proportion. They started reporting about late night hookups and secret vacations. Troy tried to stay out of the gossip but eventually he had to make a statement that there was nothing going on between him and Beth and that he loved you. Unfortunately, after the statement, the gossip magazines started reporting that Beth was out to separate you and Troy, and that she was Troy's whore, and all this really bad stuff about her. They made her out to be the bad girl. Troy felt horrible and tried to help her out. So that's why they remained friends. Because Troy's such a nice guy. That's honestly the entire story, Gabriella. Troy never cheated on you. He's just a really nice guy who has immense compassion for others, even if they complicate his life like Beth did."

"I don't know if I believe that," Gabriella said. If she had remembered her previous time with Troy, surely she would have accepted that story. But even though she had spent the past seven months with these people, Gabriella still felt like all she had was herself. Everyone else remembered each other, but not Gabriella. And for that reason, Gabriella didn't fit in.

Taylor could easily be covering for Troy. Gabriella desperately wanted Taylor's story to be true, but she knew that Troy was an attractive man, and he could probably get almost any girl he wanted. He must have been interested in other women besides her before. It was very possible that he could have acted on those interests without her Taylor, or Chad knowing.

"Gabriella," Taylor put her hand on her forehead in frustration. "I'm telling the truth. You are just too insecure and blind to see it. You're afraid to fall in love with Troy, Gabi. I can tell. You're falling for him, hard and fast, but you're scared because it's happening so quickly. Gabriella…_let it happen_. He's your husband! You two make each other so blissfully happy it's sometimes too much for me to take," Taylor grinned, but the anxiety in her voice was still clear.

"Gabriella, please believe me when I say that Troy loves you. He really does…"

Gabriella stared at the table for a moment. She wanted to let go of her worries or apprehensions and fall in love with Troy. She wanted that more than anything. But she also didn't want to be selfish. She wanted him to be happy. And if Beth, or some other girl, was what he wanted, then she wasn't going to push herself on him. She was going to let him be happy with someone else. Even if it killed her.

"But Taylor, even if Troy isn't cheating on me with Beth, there's always the possibility that he could be happier with another girl. I wasn't just upset about the articles I found on Beth, but also another one I discovered…" Gabriella said, watching as Taylor rolled her eyes.

"Oh boy. What did this one say?"

"It was an interview Troy did about a week ago. He was talking about the accident and what happened to me and he said that in the beginning it was really hard to come home and look at me and know that I wasn't the same person I used to be…"

Taylor stayed quiet after hearing that one.

"I…didn't know he felt that way." The brunette sighed, feeling her eyes flood with water.

"Gabriella, I can say this until I'm blue in the face. Troy loves you. He loves you with all of his heart. But I have to say, you weren't as introverted, as shy, as cautious before the accident as you are now. You're still the same, but you're also different. The years you've forgotten have included experiences that shaped the way you are, so yeah, naturally you're going to behave a little differently. You're not the same person." Taylor tried to soothe Gabriella by talking rationally.

"I know, but then he went on to say that he wasn't sure if our relationship would ever be the same, but that no matter what, he still loved me. What the hell am I supposed to take from that? He doesn't really want to be with me anymore because I'm different, but he's stuck with me?" Gabriella started a small rant, completely frustrated with her life and relationship right now.

"No, Gabriella. You know that's not what he meant by that…" Taylor answered.

"Tay, you have _no_ _idea_ how many times I've thought about this. About that fact that maybe he's not really in love with _me_. He's in love with the old me. The woman he married. But I'm different now, I'm not the same. And it's not fair that he has to stay with me just because he thinks it's the right thing to do. I just want him to be happy. I…love him."

Taylor looked at Gabriella for a long time after that. "Is this one of those, 'I love him so I'm going to let him go' type things? Because that's complete bullshit. Troy doesn't want that."

"Troy doesn't know what he wants. Except for the fact that he wants things to go back to the way they were before the accident. That's never going to happen. I'm never going to get my memory back. He _needs to move on_. He should find some other girl that he can have new experiences with. One that doesn't remind him of what _used _to be every time he looks at her…"

"Gabriella, you guys slept with each other. Okay? He loves you, it doesn't matter that you lost your memory…"

"He's still in love with the old me. I see the hurt in his eyes every time he tells me he loves me and I don't say it back. I'm hurting him, Tay, and I'm being selfish by staying with him. I need to let him go…"

"Gabriella," Taylor said, her voice frantic now, "are you serious? Please tell me you're not going to do something stupid…"

"I have to do what's best for me and Troy. Troy needs to move on, and I don't need to fall in love with him even more and then have him move on later because I never remember anything. It will hurt at first, a lot, but hopefully after a while it will get better." Gabriella said, standing up from her chair. She had to be back to work in 15 minutes.

"Gabriella, taking a break from your relationship is not the answer. You guys live together. It's just not going to work." Taylor said, swiftly catching up with her friend by the door.

"I don't think we need a break, Tay…" Gabriella mumbled, staring at the ground sadly. She couldn't believe it came to this. All of her dreams were crashing down on her, broken and shattered.

As she walked away, the brunette missed the look of pure panic on Taylor's face as she stood motionless at the entrance of Sonja's Coffee House.

* * *

"Gabriella, are you okay?" Troy asked gently, before turning off the lights and crawling into the master bed. "Was it a rough day at work?"

Gabriella swallowed a big lump in her throat. Ever since she got home after work, she'd been trying to avoid Troy. He had been sitting in front of the TV watching a basketball game when she had walked in. She quickly tried to tiptoe upstairs without a sound but Troy had turned around on the couch and spotted her.

It was pure torture, right smack dab in the middle of bliss. Troy would not let her go all night. For a while Gabriella began to get nervous, believing that Taylor had told Troy of their discussion at the coffee house earlier. The brunette was praying that Taylor kept her word that she wouldn't tell anyone about their conversation…

"I'm fine, really," Gabriella said, turning to sleep on her side so her back was facing Troy. She couldn't be in the same bed as him right now. She really couldn't. The more physical comfort Troy gave her the more she started to regret what she had done after work that day. She couldn't regret it. She was doing it for Troy, so he could be happy.

"Gabriella…" Troy sighed her name and scooted closer to her so he could pull her against his chest. "Please tell me what's wrong. You're so tense…"

"I know, I'm sorry, Troy. I'm just really tired…" Gabriella said softly, trying hard not to let herself enjoy the feeling of Troy's muscular arms constricting around her waist. All of this affection was going to cause so much more hurt in the long run.

"Oh, okay. Goodnight, Gab," Troy muttered, pressing a kiss to her temple. Gabriella reflexively turned towards him, to look at his expression. But Gabriella immediately regretted her action when Troy looked her in the eyes and leaned down to kiss her lips firmly.

She was _really_ going to miss this. And as much as her brain told her not to, her heart caved in to Troy's body, and she fully rotated herself to wrap her arms around Troy's neck.

Gabriella's lips moved delicately with Troy's, and her brain tried to memorize the way it felt and how it made her feel. She felt loved, protected, and safe in Troy's embrace. If only she could feel this moment would never end…

…but it did. And Troy broke the kiss to press his lips in the crevice between her nose and cheek. Gabriella's eyes fluttered close as his lips stayed there for a few seconds before he pulled away.

Even though it was going to hurt both of them in the long run, Gabriella then burrowed her head in Troy's chest and held him tightly, trying to enjoy what little time with him she had left.

* * *

"Alright, I'm heading off to work now," Gabriella called as she entered the kitchen the next morning where Troy was serving Caleb breakfast. She walked over to Caleb and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Can Mommy get a goodbye kiss, sweetie?"

Caleb swallowed his cheerios and put his two little hands on Gabriella's face to kiss her forehead.

"Bye Mommy!" he said before diving right back into his cheerios. Gabriella laughed at her son and ruffled his hair before picking up her purse from the counter. Even though she didn't want to, Gabriella glanced over at Troy, who was sending a sweet smile in her direction.

Her heart ached, and she had to hold herself back from running into his arms.

Troy took a step forward from behind the counter to say goodbye, but Gabriella couldn't let herself be in close proximity to him.

"Um, I'll be back a little later tonight so I can't pick up Caleb from daycare…" she said, turning around and walking towards the front door. She didn't miss how Troy's smile faded when she quickly walked away.

She almost made to the front door. _Almost_. And then she felt the two hands she came to love wrap around her stomach and pull her back.

"You're just going to leave without saying goodbye?" He whispered in her ear, and Gabriella shuddered at his warm breath. She felt tears immediately flood her eyes. It was _so_ hard to resist him.

"No…" The brunette mumbled, blinking away the moisture in her eyes so she could turn around and face Troy.

"Well, then come here," he said in husky voice and pulled Gabriella to his chest so he could lean down and connect their lips.

It was a soft kiss, not urgent, and it was so full of love that Gabriella immediately tried to pull away. Troy looked confused at her actions, and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I love you. Be safe, okay? Look both ways before going through an intersection…" Troy grinned, but his eyes betrayed the seriousness of his remark.

Gabriella smiled a little at his worry.

"Bye, Troy," Gabriella said, walking out the door.

She didn't look back.

* * *

"Is something wrong, man? You look kind of down…" Chad said at the Redhawks nine am practice.

Troy shook his head, pulling up for a jump shot and watching it bounce off the rim. "No. I'm fine. Just a little worried, that's all…"

"Worried? About what? Christmas? Dude, you even said yourself, you were just upset that Gabriella didn't call. Two technicals in one game doesn't mean you're going to do it every time. And just because we're no longer undefeated doesn't mean that we can't win another game. We'll bounce back, man. Come on, it's been two days. Don't worry about it."

Troy sighed, wishing his worries were about something as simple as basketball.

"Alright men, wrap it up. Be here at ten tomorrow morning for our shoot around, then at six for the game. We're going to move forward from Christmas, guys. It's a new game, and a new team. Let's beat Portland," Coach Cohen shouted to his players before walking back to his office.

Chad pulled Troy over to sit in the courtside seats.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

"Having a heart-to-heart with you, or whatever girly name it's called. You're obviously upset and from the way you didn't answer me I'm sure it has to do with Gabriella. What's up now?" Chad asked.

Troy rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Um, yeah. It's about Gabriella," the basketball star said.

"So, last we talked you were upset because she didn't call you, and you hated how she didn't remember anything, but you said you still loved her. What's changed since then?" Chad asked, waving off one of the other players headed in their direction.

"Gabriella's changed. I don't know, man. We were really happy for like, five days after we slept together. And then I saw her at the hotel, and she seemed…different. Like she was trying to avoid my affection. Every time I would touch her it was as if her brain was debating whether or not she should respond. It was weird. And it happened all in a matter of less than 24 hours," Troy explained, still trying to figure out what went wrong.

"I forgot to tell you, Troy, that-"

"And that's not all," Troy interrupted his friend. "We were totally going to sleep together before you knocked on the door. And she was going to say 'I love you'. I just know it. I had the feeling like she was trying to tell me that. But she didn't say it, and now she's acting all weird and I don't know why!"

"Troy, Gabriella knows that-"

"And even that night it was bad. Sure, we slept in the same bed but she didn't cuddle up to me like she's done for the past week. Even last night it seemed like she was apprehensive about being close to me. She made me initiate any affection and it was like she tried to resist it. I don't get it. I don't know what happened within the time I was gone that caused her to change. I'm just trying to figure out what I did wrong," Troy sighed, putting his face in his hands.

"Troy, Gabriella saw you having dinner with Beth at the hotel…" Chad said, watching carefully as his friend slowly lifted his head out of his hands and looked at him with wide eyes.

"She did? Do you think that's why she's acting strange? Does she think I'm…_cheating on her?_" Troy asked, astounded.

"Taylor said she talked to her, so I think Gabriella knows you're not. But maybe she needs a little reassurance from you. She's just too embarrassed to straight up ask you if you slept with her," Chad reasoned, standing up and walking with Troy towards the locker rooms.

"I prove it to her," Troy vowed. "I've never slept with another girl since I met Gabriella. You know that. I'll reassure her and hopefully things will go back to normal…"

Troy finally felt hope. He was going to fix this mess tonight.

* * *

"Where do you want this piece, Caleb?"

The toddler pointed towards the end of the track.

"Next to this one?" Jack clarified before placing the piece where the toddler ordered. "Where do you want this piece?" he asked, holding up a different one.

Caleb shook his head back and forth.

"Nowhere?" Jack asked.

"ALL DONE!" Caleb screeched, smiling brightly and tossing his pieces of the plastic train track into the air.

Jack laughed, turning around to Troy, who was sitting on the couch next to Lucille, watching his son play with his father.

"He's just like you were when you were almost three."

Troy rolled his eyes. "I've heard_ that_ before. I can't believe I created a monster." He joked, laughing with Lucille.

"So when are you and Gabriella going to have another little monster?" Lucille asked, smiling at her now blushing son.

"Uh…I don't think that's going to happen for a few years," He said, avoiding eye contact with his parents.

"Do you want more kids?" Jack asked, handing Caleb the toy train.

"Of course," Troy said, leaning back against the couch. "More than anything. I just don't think Gabriella is going to be comfortable with the idea for a while. Maybe in a couple of years I'll ask her about it, but not now. I mean, we just got back together."

"Alright, just curious, sweetie. No need to get defensive," Lucille laughed.

"I'm not being defensive," Troy argued, "Gabriella and I were actually planning on trying again after this season was over. But the accident kind of complicated things…"

"I'm sorry, Troy. We didn't mean to bring up a sensitive subject," Jack apologized. The older man was just about to say something else when the doorbell rang. Lucille immediately jumped up and offered to get it.

"Well, as I was going to say, forget about children. You need to get yourself a championship title first."

Troy laughed, and Caleb started giggling just to fit in. Troy lifted his toddler up on his lap and watched and the boy hugged his waist.

"I'm tired, Daddy…" he said in a sleepy voice. The clock just turned to 3 pm. Perfect timing.

"Alright, nap time." Troy said, standing up and walking upstairs to tuck his toddler in. Troy loved this part of being a father. His son was absolutely adorable as he tried to keep his eyes open.

It only took two minutes for the little boy to pass out. Troy stayed in the room for an extra minute to watch his toddler sleep peacefully, completely unaware of his parents' troubles.

"Who was at the door?" Troy questioned as he walked back into the family room.

Lucille pointed to the table in the center of the room. "A lady dropped that off for you. It looks like some kind of legal document."

"Weird. Probably something about my contract," Troy said, picking up the beige envelope and pulling out the papers inside.

The entire room was silent as Troy read the words on the first page. His parents watched their son's eyes widen and then a broken look form on his face. His breathing began to increase, like he was trying to get enough air in his lungs.

"Honey, what is it? You didn't violate your contract, right?" Lucille asked carefully, scared as to what got her son so upset so quickly.

"No," Troy choked out, still staring at the papers.

"Then what are those?" Jack asked curiously, glancing at Lucille with a worried expression.

Troy let his gaze lift off the document he was holding and onto his parents. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath.

"Divorce papers."


	17. Nightmare

**Three things:**

So, some of you guys really didn't like the last chapter. That's okay; I knew it wouldn't be your favorite. However, I did already plan out the entire story (like a year ago), and I still fully intend on following my plan. So bear with me through the final eight…maybe nine chapters of this story.

If you don't want to read it, please don't feel obligated. Just know that the only way to go from rock bottom is up.

And, uh… I leave for college in like…thirteen days. There's no way I'm going to be able to finish the story by then. I know. I'm pissed at myself, too. But life's just been too crazy. I'll try to update as much as possible before I leave though. I'm thinking I can get in at least three more chapters.

**Also, I've never been married. And therefore I've never been divorced. I apologize if this divorce process/information is incredibly wrong. I researched a little bit but there's not a lot of info on celebrity divorce procedures, so I took that as a sign that I could get a little creative with it. **

Okay, enough talk. Now let's do this.

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 17: Nightmare**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"…Fuck it."

Troy picked up the dormant cell phone beside his arm and pressed 3. He held the device to his ear, his heart frozen, listening as each ring pierced through his body.

"Hi! You've reached the cell phone of Gabriella Bolton. I'm currently unable to take your call. Please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message, and I will contact you as soon as possible. Thanks."

Troy swore loudly once again as he got Gabriella's voicemail. He placed his head in his palm and waited for the beep. The kitchen lights were dimmed, casting subtle shadows on the wall. But lights and decorations were not needed to set the desolate mood. The man sitting at the kitchen table did that all by himself.

"Hey…Gabriella, it's me again. It's going on two a.m. Where are you? I understand if you don't want to come home, but please just give me a call and let me know you're alright. _Please _Gab… bye."

Troy tossed the phone back down on the table angrily. He was so damn worried about his wife that he couldn't sleep. She normally came home around six or seven from work, and he hadn't heard from her since she walked out of the door that morning. It was almost two a.m., and Troy was ready to call the police.

The basketball star let his eyes return to the papers that had been scattered on the kitchen table since that afternoon. They all seemed to blur together, a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo. The only words that stood out were _separation,_ _divorce_, and _termination of marriage_. No matter how many times he read over the text, his mind could not wrap around the basic fact of what the papers were for. It seemed unreal.

Troy shot out of the chair he had been sitting in for the past hour and grabbed his cell phone off the table. He didn't care that he just called her two minutes ago. He needed to know she was safe.

"Fuck!" Troy said violently as he got her voicemail again, viciously tearing at his hair in frustration.

"Gabriella, this is fucking ridiculous. I got the papers, okay? So you don't need to avoid me. It's fine. Everything's fine. We can figure this out like the mature adults we are. But we can't figure anything out unless you're _alive!_ _Please_ let me get some sleep Gabriella. I'm so fucking worried about you that I can't do anything but let my mind run wild with awful scenarios. _Please_ call me. _Please_. Caleb missed you tonight, too. If not for me, come home for Caleb. _Please…_"

Troy punched the end button on his phone with excessive force. He was so frustrated. He desperately wanted to know his wife was okay. This was torture. Pure torture.

Troy sat at the table for the next half hour, closing his eyes and letting his head fall onto his arms. It was after ten minutes in that position that he finally drifted into a light sleep, completely and utterly exhausted from the day's events. His body needed to conserve energy, and Troy couldn't fight it anymore.

But Troy should've known that even in his light sleep he couldn't escape the life changing event that rocked his world earlier that day. His mind wouldn't let him.

Gabriella wanted a divorce.

The moment Troy read the papers he honestly thought he was going into cardiac arrest. His heart had never beat so fast…in fright. Of all the things that could happen to him, this was one of the worst. The woman he fell in love with, the woman who made him happier than anyone else, the woman he would lasso the moon for…didn't want him.

He had gone into shock, scaring his parents and leaving them helpless. There was nothing they could do. They couldn't put a gun to Gabriella's head and force her to love their son. Troy didn't want that. He wanted genuine feelings from her, the same kind she had for him before the accident. The same kind she had for him the majority of his life.

The same kind he had believed were slowly growing within her. Apparently he was wrong.

He hadn't said much the rest of the day. Instead of talking to his mother, who desperately wanted her son to explain what he was feeling, he sat at the kitchen table with the papers and against his heart's wishes, started to read over them and fill them out.

Troy wasn't really sure what he was doing. It was like autopilot had overtaken him and he didn't even think about the significance of his actions. He just did it because it seemed like it needed to be done. As much as each stroke of the pen was like a stab in the heart, Troy's brain convinced him that this was the right thing to do. The honorable thing. He wouldn't force himself on Gabriella if she didn't want him.

Finally, at 2:43 in the morning, the front door opened and closed softly. Troy woke up from his light sleep and flew out of the kitchen, rounding the corner of the hallway to see his wife gently set her purse down on the floor next to her shoes.

Troy flipped the light on, startling the young brunette. He ignored the way his heart clenched painfully as he studied her face and focused on the fact that she was safe.

"Where were you?" he asked quietly, so not to wake Caleb.

Gabriella held her phone in her left hand, and her eyes betrayed the fact that she had gotten Troy's messages…a long time ago.

"I was…at Taylor and Chad's. I lost track of time," she said in a small voice, as though she was afraid of the man standing before her.

"No you weren't," Troy shook his head, disappointed that she would lie to him. "I called them to find out where you were and they had no idea. Chad said he hadn't seen you all day or night."

Gabriella sighed, running a hand through her curls. Troy heart lurched forward as his hand twitched. He desperately wanted to run his hands through her hair at that moment. He wanted more than anything for Gabriella to wrap her arms around him and reassure her love for him. But he knew that was never going to happen. Not after she filed for…divorce.

"Um…you're right," Gabriella said, defeated. "I stayed at work until eleven and then stopped by Sam's Tavern."

Troy's eyes widened. She had been drinking?

Now that he studied her more carefully, it was plainly obvious. She was tilted slightly, and her words were coming out slower than normal. Gabriella was a little drunk. Not completely wasted, but drunk enough to be impaired.

"You were at a bar? Did you drive yourself home?" Troy asked, now worried about whether or not she had put herself in danger coming back to the house.

"No. I left my car at work and took a cab," she mumbled, walking past Troy and into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of cold water.

"Why didn't you call me? You must've gotten my…what…nine messages?" Troy asked quietly, sitting next to her at the kitchen table.

"I didn't know what to say…" Gabriella answered, suddenly realizing the significance of the documents on the table. "Troy…" she started, but was interrupted by the frightened look on her husband's face.

"It's okay, Gab. I really don't want to talk about it right now."

Gabriella nodding, looking at him sympathetically, which hurt Troy even more. She felt sorry for him. Sorry that he was in love with her – completely and irrevocably – and she didn't feel the same way.

"I'm going to bed to try and get some kind of sleep. I've got a shoot around at ten tomorrow," Troy explained, lifting himself up from his chair and stretching a bit.

"Portland, right?" she asked quietly, in a tone that led Troy to believe she didn't feel as though she had the right to know anymore.

"Yeah, Portland," Troy answered before looking intensely into Gabriella's eyes.

"Next time please send me a text or something, okay? I was really worried about you," Troy muttered. He stayed around long enough for Gabriella to gently nod her head and whisper "_sorry_" before practically running up the stairs and into the guest bedroom where he had moved all his belongings earlier in the evening.

Refusing to give himself any down time to let his mind wander, Troy made quick work of changing and getting ready for bed before he crawled under the covers in record time.

It was at that moment – the moment that Troy flipped the tableside lamp off – that the silence of the room swallowed him whole.

He closed his eyes tightly, but nothing could stop the inevitable tears that suddenly streamed down his face like a waterfall. Along with them came heart wrenching sobs. Troy did his best to keep quiet so Gabriella couldn't hear, but he let himself go. He had been holding in his emotions all day and he needed a release, even though he would never admit it.

Troy curled into his pillow as the sobs grew more forceful. He tried to calm himself down by sucking in deep breaths to steady his breathing, but it didn't seem to be working. Every time he tried to calm himself down, his mind would flash to Gabriella's face, her voice, her touch. He needed her more than ever now. He needed her in his arms. He wanted to wrap her up and pull her close and never let go. She was _so_important to him. How could she not see that he would do anything for her? He would be anything she wanted if she just told him what to do.

Troy Bolton may have been a big shot NBA star, one that not only had great basketball skills but incredible looks to go with it. He may have had a body that made guys around the world envious, and the perfect family and friends that supported him.

But this star, this god-like image that the whole world had of Troy Bolton was incorrect.

Because of the thing he loved most…because of Gabriella…he was broken.

* * *

Gabriella rested her head on the couch the next afternoon while Caleb took a nap. She couldn't believe how much she drank the previous night. It wasn't like her to go out and be irresponsible like that, but when five o'clock had come around at work, she found that she wasn't ready to go home. She wasn't ready to face Troy.

So she had taken the coward's way out. She stayed late at the office, working on upcoming projects until there was absolutely nothing more she could do. Then she went to a local tavern she passed by every day on the way to work and drowned herself in her sorrows. She knew Troy had called her, several times before midnight hit, but she couldn't bring herself to answer the phone when it rang. She couldn't even force herself to listen to his messages. She didn't want to talk to Troy. She wanted to forget he ever existed. Then maybe the pain would go away.

Even though she had a slight hangover, Gabriella welcomed it as a nice anecdote to the emotional pain she had been in the last two days. Physical pain distracted her mind from her heart, and made it easier to get through each hour.

Ever since walking away from Troy the morning before, she couldn't stop the wave of depression that rolled over her. Gabriella acknowledged the nagging feeling in her gut that told her she was freely giving up the best thing that had ever happened to her. A man – a sexy, caring, loving man that had never given her a reason to think he was anything otherwise.

Troy was everything she had ever dreamed of as a little girl. He was perfect, simply put. No other man would ever compare.

And she was pushing this perfect man away, because she wanted to make him happy.

Gabriella had to keep reminding herself of the reason why she was in so much pain. She knew Troy would be in pain initially, too. But he would eventually thank her for this when he found another woman who didn't remind him of the past every time he looked at her. A woman that was his equal. Equally beautiful, athletic, and talented. He deserved that. Not her. Not some high school sweetheart who hurt him without even trying, just because she didn't remember him.

The young brunette heard the front door open and close a little after noon. She couldn't even move her head she was so tired, but she really didn't have to. She already knew who it was.

The most perfect man in the world walked into the kitchen and set down his car keys before glancing over at Gabriella in the living room, sprawled out on the couch. His face took on a curious expression before recognition washed over it.

"Hangover?" he asked gently, probably trying to speak in a soft voice so it wouldn't hurt her.

Gabriella nodded lightly. "Just a little one," she confirmed, propping herself up on her elbow.

Without a word Troy turned back into the kitchen and filled a glass with water. He set it on the table in front of the couch and backed away a couple of feet, as though he didn't want to invade her personal space.

"Thank you," she mumbled, lifting up the glass and bringing it to her lips. The cool liquid ran down her throat.

"You're welcome. I hope you feel better," he said softly, and Gabriella didn't miss the tiny wavering of his voice.

"Troy…" Gabriella started, desperate to talk about what was happening between them. Troy hadn't said a word about the divorce since he got served yesterday, and it was eating Gabriella away from the insides.

"I turned in the paperwork on my way home. We have a meeting tomorrow at the I &H firm. Three-thirty," Troy said quietly, before leaving the room.

That was all he said to Gabriella the entire day.

* * *

Troy fidgeted with his jacket nervously. He felt extremely uncomfortable sitting in the waiting room of the most well-known law office in Albuquerque. Especially because of the reason why he was there.

Gabriella had arrived moments after he had, and because most of the seats were taken, Troy patted the one next to him so that she didn't feel awkward asking if she could sit there.

Nevertheless, simply sitting next to each other had gotten awkward. Especially since each person knew the other had been on the phone with their respective lawyers the entire morning, trying to sort things out. Because Troy was such a big celebrity, the law office was bending a lot of rules in order to make this divorce as quick and unpublicized as possible. Normally it would take weeks, if not months to get the first meeting scheduled. Not a day. After Troy heard how rules were being bent for him, he seriously regretted ever deciding to play basketball in the NBA. The last thing he wanted was his divorce with the woman he was still in love with to be sped up.

Gabriella sat next to him, dressed nicely in a gold skirt and a black quarter sleeve blouse. She fidgeted nervously with her hands, and Troy had to fight the urge to hold them still. He didn't have that right anymore.

"Troy Bolton, Gabriella Bolton?" The receptionist called, and the husband and wife rose slowly, with Troy motioning for Gabriella to go ahead of him. He still hadn't said much to her, but it wasn't because he was mad. It was because he didn't have any words to say. There were no words. Nothing could describe this situation from his point of view, or how he was feeling. He was not mad…he was deeply saddened and disappointed.

"You may both continue to the twelfth floor for your meeting. The elevator is around that corner on your right," the receptionist said in a cheerful voice, a stark contrast to the bleak and mournful emotions running through the young man and woman standing before her.

Troy's heart started racing in that moment. He felt like he was walking to his execution. Desperate for some kind of physical contact to calm him down, Troy placed his hand lightly on the small of Gabriella's back. Out of his peripheral vision he noticed she looked at him curiously, but he never made eye contact with her.

Surprised by the fact that Gabriella didn't shake his hand off, Troy hoped that he could say something more to her in the elevator.

But the moment turned out to be more awkward than Troy ever anticipated.

After both he and Gabriella tried to press the button for twelve at the same time, Troy managed to trip on his own feet, knocking into Gabriella and forcing him to hold her steady until she regained her balance.

"Shit. Sorry, Gab…" Troy mumbled, avoiding her gaze.

"It's okay, Troy. Don't worry about it," she said in a small voice, her eyes focused on the elevator doors in front of her.

All too soon for either occupants' liking, the elevator doors opened and they found themselves rushed through a smaller waiting area into a big conference room with a long wooden table capable of seating at least twenty comfortably on each side, though only three people were currently sitting at it. Troy and Gabriella were asked to take a seat by their lawyers.

Troy was using his good friend Emanuel Benitez. Emanuel had helped defend Troy during his publicity crisis with the whole Beth situation. He may not have been the best lawyer in the state, but he was certainly in the top percent. Troy felt confident that he would not lose anything too important with Emanuel arguing his side.

Gabriella's lawyer was Cheryl Savage, around fifty, maybe as old as sixty. She had cold green eyes and a demeanor that made Troy want to grab Gabriella and run for fear that he would never get her back.

Susan, the mediator, sat at the end of the table, overseeing the agreements that were about to be written into a contract.

"So we are holding this meeting today to discuss the filing of an original petition for divorce by Gabriella Bolton. Troy Bolton was served the petition two days ago. This divorce mediation will allow both parties to attempt to reach some kind of agreement as to what each wants to get out of the divorce. Gabriella, you requested this divorce, and although I'm sure you have your own reasons for it, we have to put them into legal terms. And, if I may make a suggestion, I think it may help. You don't have to follow it, but because you are such a big basketball star, Troy, it may be beneficial for you to claim that "irreconcilable differences" are the cause of the split. That way no one is at fault," Susan said before leaning back in her chair. It was easy to tell that she was totally comfortable with this. She had done it a million times before.

Troy sat there speechless. He had just sat down and everything had already been laid out on the table. Irreconcilable differences? What differences did he and Gabriella even have?

"Ma'am, if Troy wants to claim that I'm at fault for this divorce, that's fine with me. He could claim that I'm at fault because of …'desertion for a specified length of time'. I lost my memory around half a year ago and I haven't really been his wife for the past six months."

Gabriella's lawyer whispered in her ear, but all the occupants could hear her urging Gabriella to let her do the talking.

"No. I don't want that. No one's at fault for this," Troy spoke forcefully. "Gabi's not at fault. She hasn't deserted me. Please don't put that on there, Susan. Irreconcilable differences is fine." Troy pleaded.

Gabriella looked across the table at Troy and he could see the tears cloud over her eyes. Jesus this was hard. Troy swallowed the lump in his throat.

"And just as a formality, Gabriella, do you want to end your marriage to Troy Bolton?" Susan asked, her eyes moving to the young brunette.

Gabriella looked at the table. She remained quiet for a long period of time before slowly shaking her head. "Yes."

Even though he knew it was coming, Troy heart ripped in half. Hearing her agree to the end of their marriage was more painful than he thought.

"And Troy. Do you agree to end this marriage to Gabriella Bolton?"

Troy stared across the table at Gabriella. Although she tried to avoid eye contact with him, her gaze kept coming back to his face. Troy looked away from Gabriella and the three other occupants and focused his gaze on the window, where outside dark clouds were starting to form. "Yes."

It pained him to say the word, but if this was what Gabriella wanted, how could he deny her?

"Okay, well, now that we have the consent and grounds for divorce established, it is probably best to discuss each of your financial assets. Troy, it appears that you did not sign a pre-nuptial agreement when you married Gabriella. Is this true?" Susan asked.

Troy closed his eyes and took in a big breath. "Yes. It's true."

When he heard the gasp from across the table, Troy looked up to see Gabriella quickly wiping away a tear that had spilled out of her eye. She stared back at him, her face a mixture of shock and confusion.

"Were you aware that signing a pre-nup was an option for you before you got married?" Susan asked, ignoring Gabriella's reaction.

"Uh…yes. My lawyer at the time discussed the logistics of it with me, but I chose not to sign one," Troy explained, staring at the table. He didn't say it out loud, but every single occupant at the table could have guessed Troy's reasoning for not signing a pre-nup. He had been in love with Gabriella for so long that he could not imagine a life without her. A pre-nup seemed unnecessary since he figured they were never going to get divorced.

And now he was proven wrong.

Troy remembered how he and Gabriella had argued about it. She wanted him to sign one because she figured it would be best to protect his financial assets in case they ever had a falling out, but Troy wouldn't do it. He told her that he was never going to leave her because he loved her too much.

And even now, as Troy anticipated what Susan was going to say next, he didn't regret his decision. He still loved Gabriella, and he wanted her to be financially secure.

"Well, then you have to understand that according to the state divorce laws of New Mexico, and due to the fact that this is a special circumstance because of your career, Gabriella is liable to receive half of all your financial assets."

"I don't want his money. That's not what I'm after. He can keep it…" Gabriella turned to Susan, her eyes wide with panic.

"Gabriella, it's fine. I don't mind you taking half of my earnings-" Troy started.

"Please, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton. I believe you both hired lawyers so that they could argue for you. Go ahead Mr. Benitez," Susan prompted.

"Well, Troy does understand that the wages he has earned to date will be split in half with Gabriella, but because the amount is so grand, I believe it would be fair to ask that Troy does not have to pay child support to Mrs. Bolton."

"What?" Troy hissed in Emanuel's ear. "I don't mind paying child support…"

"Troy," Emanuel said loud enough for the three others at the table to hear, "Gabriella is getting half of your earnings since you've been in the NBA. That's 53 _million_ dollars. She doesn't need you paying child support. She's set for life with this divorce…"

"Susan, I…Troy," Gabriella gasped, looking desperately into his eyes, "I'm not doing this to take your money. Please understand that. I don't want it. I have my own job with an income I can survive off of. I don't need…_53 million dollars. _You worked hard for that. It's yours…" Gabriella pleaded in a panicked voice.

Troy read the desperation in her eyes and was about to reassure her that he didn't think she was after his money when Susan spoke up.

"Mr. Benitez that seems like a very reasonable request. Troy will not pay child support in this case to Gabriella after the termination of the marriage. As for the 53 million dollars, Mrs. Bolton, be grateful that you are receiving such a generous amount of money. Troy did not sign a pre-nup, and this is a no-fault divorce. There's nothing I can do. You get the money whether you like it or not…"

Gabriella's mouth dropped open in shock. Another tear ran down her cheek and Troy was ready to leap over the table to comfort her and reassure her that it was okay. But Susan's continuation of the conversation stopped him.

"Well, now that the financial issue is taken care of-"

"What about my earnings? I've earned around one hundred and fifty thousand dollars since I've been working at NGI for the past three years. Does Troy get half of that?"

"Gabriella that's for your mom's house…" Troy argued gently.

"Hmm…" Susan looked through a folder on her desk. "Well, it seems because you kept that money in a separate bank account in which Troy's name was not on, you get to keep all of the money for yourself."

"How is that fair?" Gabriella asked incredulously.

"Gabriella, please. You are not helping your case here," Cheryl hushed the brunette. Gabriella sighed and put her face in her hands. Troy stared helplessly across the table at his distressed wife.

"Before we move on, is there any compensation either of you would like to request?" Susan asked, looking at Emanuel first.

"Well, because of the stress this divorce is putting Troy under, his basketball career is suffering. Last night he only scored 9 points the entire game. As compensation for the emotional trauma, we request fifteen million dollars," Emanuel stated professionally, leaving Troy shocked beside him.

"We didn't talk about that!" Troy said in a hushed voice.

"Please, Troy. Let me work out these deals. You can't let your emotions get involved in this or you are going to come out with nothing," Emanuel said, turning back to Susan.

"That is something the judge will consider when this goes to court. I will make a note of it," her pen scratched noisily across the legal documents in front of her. "Now, we need to discuss other important assets the two of you have acquired since you were married. The house, your two cars, and your son Caleb."

Both Gabriella's and Troy's eyes met across the table the moment they heard their son's name. Each knew what the other was thinking. Their toddler was not something they were willing to give up.

"In this type of divorce I feel that it is fair if the house is sold, both Troy and Gabriella can keep their respective cars, and the child is under shared custody," Emanuel argued for Troy.

This guy was really starting to piss Troy off. Earlier that day on the phone Troy clearly said that he wanted Gabriella to keep the house. It was paid for in full, why waste the money buying a new one?

"No," Troy interrupted. "The deal was that Gabriella gets the house. I'm not negotiating that."

"Gabriella will take the house and her car then…" Cheryl noted, writing on her legal pad of paper. Gabriella shook her head quickly.

"Troy, you paid for that house out of your own money. I can't keep it. It's yours. I'll move out later this week into an apartment…" Gabriella said, nudging her lawyer to back her up.

"Gabriella, just take what he's freely giving to you," Cheryl said coldly, and then returned her attention to Susan. "I also do not believe that shared custody of Caleb Bolton is in the best interest of the child. Troy is an NBA basketball player. His season is eight months long, and he travels frequently. I believe that giving Gabriella full custody of Caleb with occasional visitation rights for Troy is the best solution. Troy cannot adequately care for his child because of the demands his career puts on him."

Susan nodded her head.

"NO!" Troy stood up from his chair, almost knocking it over in the process. "Occasional visitation rights? Caleb is my son! I already don't get to see him enough because of basketball but only being able to see him every once in a while…that's not fair!"

Susan ignored Troy's outburst and looked at Emanuel.

"Mr. Benitez, is there any way we can come to some kind of agreement where Gabriella has primary custody of Caleb?"

Troy stopped breathing as Emanuel looked up at him questioningly. "I just want to see my son…I don't care about anything else."

The lawyer nodded, turning to Susan. What if Gabriella gets Caleb on the days that Troy travels, and Troy can have him on the days when he doesn't have a game?"

"That's still not enough…he's my son, too," Troy mumbled, almost choking on his words. Gabriella felt fresh tears fall down her face as she watched her husband try to pull himself together.

Susan was quiet for a moment. "The judge might accept that kind of arrangement."

Still standing, Troy looked desperately across the table at Gabriella. He was already losing his wife. He wouldn't let this divorce take away the one other person he loved just as much as her.

"Take it all, Gabriella. I just can't lose Caleb, too," Troy muttered, before turning around a walking out of the room, leaving the remaining four people shocked.

* * *

"Oh, honey. Come here. I'm so sorry…" Carmen Montez comforted her son-in-law as he sat on the couch, nearing the point of a breakdown.

Lucille had called Carmen the day Troy got served to let her in on Gabriella's wish for a divorce. Carmen had been so shocked that she decided to take off work on short notice and fly out to Albuquerque on December 29th, the same day as the couple's first divorce meeting.

Troy had stormed out of the conference room, his head filled with so many different and conflicting emotions that he couldn't stand to be around anyone. No, it wasn't the most mature way to handle his frustration, stress, and sadness, but that was Troy. He had his own way of cooling down and sorting things out. Overall, it was a very bad day.

And it was even worse because normally Gabriella was the perfect cure for a rough day.

Troy had gotten home a little after five o'clock to see Carmen was sitting in the living room, playing with Caleb. Lucille had picked them both up and dropped them off at the house only a half hour before Troy arrived.

Upon seeing her son-in-law walk into the living room, Carmen dropped the toy airplane she was holding for Caleb and rushed over to give him a huge hug. Troy had become really close to Carmen, especially in college when he and Gabriella would come home together for the holidays. Since Gabriella's dad had passed away when she was much younger, Carmen no longer had a man around the house to help her out. Troy would spend his breaks fixing up leaks, painting walls, and installing TVs and computers for her in exchange for some of her amazing brownies. The two had bonded throughout his time in Gabriella's life, and became close enough that their relationship resembled one of a mother and son.

Troy clung on tightly to Carmen, accepting her hug as a form of comfort. At least he had Gabriella's mom on his side. Maybe she could convince her daughter not to go through with this.

"Honey, I'm so sorry…" Carmen said once again, rubbing Troy's back. The past hour had involved Troy telling her all about the divorce meeting and the custody battle for Caleb, and how more than ever he wanted the accident to have never happened.

"It's not your fault, Carmen," Troy mumbled, pulling away slowly. The elder woman managed to wipe a tear off the 25 year-old's face.

"I know, but this isn't easy. Especially when it came on so suddenly. I just feel terrible. I know that if Gabriella hadn't lost her memory this wouldn't be happening. She really did love you. _So_ much."

Troy closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the couch cushions. "But the accident did happen. And Gabriella lost her memory. She forgot about me…about us. And now this is a consequence. No more…_us._"

Carmen shook her head at her son-in-law. "Don't give up, Troy. That's the same girl that fell in love with you when she was sixteen. And you're still just as sweet as you were back then, and even more handsome. How can she not fall for you again? Give it time, honey. Divorce isn't a quick thing…"

"It is when you're a professional basketball player," Troy sighed. "They're speeding everything up to make this as quick and unpublicized as possible."

Carmen had a worried look over her aging face. "What if you asked them if they could stop-"

Both Troy and Carmen stopped talking as they heard the front door open and close. They waited for the faint footsteps to gradually get louder as the petite brunette walked into the living room.

"Caleb, baby. There you are! Are you hungry for dinner?" Gabriella asked, picking Caleb up off the floor and cuddling him in her arms.

"I've already fed him dinner, sweetheart," Carmen spoke up and Gabriella froze, her back turned to the maternal sound she knew almost as well as Troy's voice.

"Mom?" Gabriella whipped around to see her mother nodding her head softly, with water pooling in her own identical eyes.

Troy walked over to Gabriella without a word and held out his hands for Caleb. Gabriella looked at him for a moment, remembering his pain in the meeting earlier that day, and carefully handed off their toddler to him before crushing herself close to her mother in a hug.

Troy left the room to give them some privacy and took Caleb upstairs.

"Mom! I can't believe you're here! But why?" Gabriella asked, so happy to see a familiar face that she hadn't seen since the accident.

"I'm here because Lucille informed me that you filed for divorce," Carmen explained in a serious tone. "What were you thinking, Gabi? I know you lost your memory but I thought you were warming up to Troy…"

Gabriella felt tears pool in her eyes for what seemed like the twentieth time that day. "Damn it," she mumbled. The last thing she felt like doing was crying again.

"Troy is a great guy, Mom. He really is. And I care for him…so much. That's why I'm doing this."

Carmen looked at her daughter with a confused expression. "I don't understand…"

Gabriella shook her curls. "I wouldn't expect you to. Just know that I'm doing the right thing for both of us. Even though it's going to hurt initially, I'm making a good decision. Please trust me."

Carmen shook her head. "I don't know, Gabi," she said warily.

"Trust me, Mom. Please. I know it looks like I'm the bad guy, but I'm not. I'm trying to do the right thing."

"But how can this be the right thing when you're obviously unhappy, and so is Troy?" Carmen asked.

"Mom, Troy hasn't even discussed the fact that we're getting divorced with me. He hasn't asked me why I did it. Why I filed. Nothing. It's like he really doesn't care. He just filled out the paperwork and turned it in…"

"Honey, Troy does care," Carmen started before her daughter interrupted.

"Look, Mom. I'm really glad you're here, but I'm physically and mentally exhausted. I need to get my mind off of this. I seriously think I'm going to curl up with a good book and read for a couple of hours before going to bed. Are you staying here?" Gabriella stood up from the couch, desperate for some time alone.

"No. Lucille and Jack are letting me use their spare bedroom. I'll be back tomorrow. Okay, honey? I love you, no matter what. I always will. Please remember that," Carmen murmured before kissing her daughter's forehead. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mom."

Gabriella locked the door behind her mother before making her way upstairs toward the master bedroom. As soon as she reaching the second floor she heard the high-pitch voice of her toddler coming from the guest bedroom. Her heart stopped, pain shooting through her veins as she listened.

"Daddy why are you crying? Are you sad?"

Gabriella couldn't hear Troy's answer.


	18. Confusion

**Next Chapter!**

**So, my reason for wanting to finish this story is because I am going off to college, and I didn't really want this story hanging over my head. But that's not going to happen...**

**I'm going to update as much as I can this week and then this story will go awhile without being updated. I do apologize for that, but I'm sure you guys are used to it. Over Christmas break I should be able to finish it. And who knows, I might update once or twice in between now and then.**

**25 chapters total. I've combined some to speed up the story a little bit.**

**Enjoy this one!**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 18: Confusion**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"Oh, come on. Give me a break!"

Gabriella groaned as she hit another red light. She was having the worst luck with traffic today – on a Tuesday of all days. Normally it took her fifteen minutes tops to get to the Sedona Ridge apartment complex, but she had already been in the car for twenty-five minutes and she still had to drive five miles until she would reach the turnoff.

"Guess what we did in daycare, Mommy?"

Caleb called out to his mom from the back seat of her Cadillac. The little boy was strapped into his car seat and he held a white piece of paper tightly in his little hands.

"What's that sweetie?" Gabriella asked while still waiting for the light to turn green.

"We got to draw pictures! Mine was of Daddy and me…" Caleb said excitedly, oblivious to the hurt expression that slowly crossed Gabriella's face.

Two weeks had gone by since the first divorce hearing and the days were getting unbearable. Carmen had come and gone, leaving Gabriella utterly and miserably alone. It was a battle for her to make it through each day. When she finally retired to bed it was a blessing. She welcomed the hours of sleep that forced her mind to wander from the central issue that plagued it every waking moment of the day…

She was getting divorced from the man she loved.

It hit her the hardest when Troy moved out of the house. Gabriella had been planning to move out herself, but Troy beat her to the punch and secured an apartment immediately after he left the hearing two weeks before. He stayed the next day, packing and getting his things together, and moved out the following morning.

Caleb had been so confused. That was possibly even harder for Gabriella and Troy to deal with than the separation from each other. Both parents felt like they were letting their son down. Caleb couldn't understand why he and Gabriella weren't moving, too. He had clung to Troy's leg as he stood by the door and sobbed endlessly, repeating over and over that he wanted to come with his Daddy. Troy had fought really hard to keep himself together, and Gabriella had shed a few tears herself watching the moment unfold.

But the one thing that Gabriella remembered more than anything about the moment Troy left was what he did…

"_Bye, Troy," Gabriella mumbled. "I'll bring Caleb over later tonight once you're all settled in."_

_Troy nodded, scratching the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation. _

"_Don't hesitate to call if you need anything, okay? I'm only twelve minutes away," Troy said, looking at the ground. "Well, I guess I better head out…"_

_Gabriella nodded, both adults still avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, I guess so…"_

_Troy hesitated, as internal debate raging in his head._

"_Gabriella?" Troy asked gently, setting his duffel bag down and looking intently at his wife. Troy hesitantly lifted up his hands and put them on either side of her face, holding her head in his hands. Troy leaned a little closer to Gabriella and she noticed that his eyes flickered briefly to her lips. Before she knew what was happening, Troy dipped his head and connected their lips in a soft and sensual kiss, expressing his never-ending love for her in the short moment. _

_After Troy pulled back his cheeks flushed red and he coughed, embarrassed of his actions. _

"_Sorry…I, uh…should've asked first. I just…you know..." Troy stuttered. _

_Gabriella brought her right hand to her mouth to touch her lips. She looked at Troy with a confused expression. Why had he just kissed her?_

_And more importantly, why the hell hadn't she jumped him already?_

"_I know that we're getting divorced and everything, but I'd still like to be friends. Please, Gabi. I don't know how you feel, but I need you in my life. I really do. I can't just go from seeing you every day to not seeing you ever…I just…can we try?" Troy explained. "Friends?"_

_Gabriella looked shocked for a moment before she composed her facial expression and threw her arms tightly around Troy's torso. He returned the hug fiercely. _

"_Friends."_

That day had been the last time she had kissed Troy. The divorce technically should've been over by now because of the special sped-up process, but at Troy's request the court date was pushed back three months. Therefore, every day that Troy only had practice and not a game, Gabriella would pick her toddler up from daycare after work and drive him over to Troy's apartment. Hence the reason why she was stuck in traffic.

Gabriella didn't like dropping off Caleb. She always felt obligated to walk him up to the front door, and when Troy opened it, she wanted to shoot herself so badly. Simply looking at him hurt her more than it made her happy. She was hurt by the fact that she could've had him but she gave it all up for his happiness. Why did she always have to be the hero again?

Today was just icing on the cake. She had had possibly the worst day of work - ever. Michael had been acting really weird and checking in on her what felt like every ten minutes. Steve was freaking out over a report that was due, and Gabriella…well. Gabriella had been working on a huge project that had taken her almost two weeks to complete, and Michael had told her that morning that it was no good.

The young brunette had been in tears when she got in the car after work. She had put so much time and effort into that project and now she had to redo the entire thing in one night at home. Today was just one of those days where you wanted it to be over from the beginning.

Finally, after ten more minutes of driving, Gabriella came upon the sign for the Sedona Ridge apartments. She maneuvered the car over to the turn lane and reluctantly entered the apartment complex.

It was a simple but beautiful complex. Troy had not explained his reasoning for choosing an apartment there, but after her first visit Gabriella could easily guess why – Caleb.

It was completely a kid friendly place. There was an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, each with a slide. A tiny playground was located on the west side of the complex, right next to the fitness center. There was a spot for picnics and parties by the clubhouse, and every apartment had a spectacular view of the mountains, right from the balcony.

Sure, Troy may have chosen the apartments because they were close to the old house and still near the Redhawks' arena, but he primarily chose it because he believed Caleb would love it there.

And that fact pissed Gabriella off more than anything, because it was something a great father would do for his child, and it made Gabriella fall even more in love with Troy.

Gabriella parked her car and unbuckled Caleb from his car seat before gathering his stuff from the trunk. She carried his duffel bag and held his hand as the two walked up the stairs to the second floor. Caleb let go of her hand and ran all the way to door 228, pounding on it with his little fists eagerly. Gabriella sighed, stopping a minute to calm her heart down. This sucked. She didn't want to see Troy right now, because she was sure she would spend the rest of the night thinking about him.

Caleb was jumping up and down excitedly, and no one had even answered the door yet. He couldn't wait to see his father. Troy had just gotten back from a three-day road trip earlier that afternoon, and Caleb was excited to spend time with him.

Gabriella finally reached Caleb just as the door opened to reveal Troy…

…in nothing but a pair of gym shorts.

_Fuck! Look away!_ Gabriella screamed at herself in her head, but her heart and her eyes wouldn't let her. They remained glued on Troy's fit chest, staring at his defined six-pack and pectorals. His biceps bulged as he held the door open.

"DADDY!" Caleb screeched, jumping up with his hands in the air.

Troy looked ecstatic as he chuckled and lifted his son into his arms, giving him a huge hug. "I missed you so much, buddy," he said, kissing his son's forehead.

"I made you something," Caleb smiled brightly, handing the piece of paper he had been holding the entire car ride over to his father.

Troy looked at the paper and then smiled sadly. "Oh, it's you and me. Why'd you decide to draw this, bud?"

Caleb shrugged, wrapping his tiny hands around his daddy once again. "I missed you," he explained.

Troy nodded and wrapped his arms tightly around his toddler. "Thank you, Caleb. Hey, I got something for you. Do you see that box over there?" Troy pointed to something behind the door that Gabriella couldn't see. Caleb nodded quickly.

"Go see what it is," Troy encouraged, and Caleb immediately struggled to get out of his father's grasp, running into the apartment, leaving Gabriella and Troy alone.

Troy's gaze finally focused on Gabriella as Caleb started ripping open the box. "Hey."

"Hey, Troy. How are you?" Gabriella asked kindly, forcing herself to look at her husband's face and not his god-like chest.

"A little tired from traveling, but pretty good otherwise," he answered, looking at the ground.

"Um…" Gabriella started. This was so awkward. "Here's Caleb's stuff. He's staying with you tonight and all day tomorrow, right? And then I take him after the daycare's play on Thursday?"

Gabriella handed over the little duffel bag and skillfully avoided touching Troy's hand in the process.

"Yeah. That's sounds about right to me," Troy confirmed, setting the bag inside the door. He then studied his wife's face for a long moment. "You look exhausted, Gab. Do you want to come in for a drink or something?" Troy opened the door wider as an invitation.

As much as Gabriella wanted to go into his apartment, she knew she couldn't. Being around Troy for longer than necessary made the moments without him hurt even more. And besides, if Troy kept his shirt off any longer Gabriella was sure she was going to do something she would regret.

"Thanks for the offer, Troy, but I've really got to get home. I have a lot to do tonight…"

Troy looked at her curiously and then disappeared for a moment. Gabriella stood there, shocked and confused. She turned to leave when Troy appeared at the door a moment later, fully clothed, only to step outside and close the door behind him.

"Are you okay, Gabriella?" he asked gently in a soft voice.

The brunette could see the worry flooding in Troy's eyes as he looked at her carefully. She noticed how he had to cross his arms to keep his hands from reaching out to comfort her. Some habits die hard.

"I'm fine, Troy. Really. But I do need to get going. Have fun with Caleb. Call me if you need anything…" Gabriella smiled gently and then started walking back down the hallway. But before she reached the stairs she felt a strong hand carefully grip her waist and pull her backwards.

"You're lying. What's wrong, Gabriella? Please tell me. We're supposed to be working on our friendship, remember?" Troy murmured, wrapping Gabriella's hand in his and walking her toward a bench in the hallway.

Gabriella closed her eyes as she sat down next to Troy. This was too much. She had to be so careful around him so that she didn't reveal how much she still loved him. And the way he had wrapped his arm around her waist, the way he laced their fingers, it was all starting to be too much to resist.

"I really am fine, Troy. I'm just a little stressed with work right now, that's all. Nothing to worry about," Gabriella sighed, looking her husband in the eyes, hoping he saw the honesty in her statement.

"What's up at work?" Troy asked curiously, his gaze never leaving hers.

Gabriella was quiet, debating whether or not she should tell him. Even though Troy had begged her to be friends, they both knew that it would never be possible. They had too much of a history to just be friends, and because they were getting a divorce, they shouldn't care so much about each other's lives.

"Gabriella?" Troy pushed.

The brunette sighed, her gaze turning to the beautiful mountains surrounding the complex. "I've been working on a project since after my Christmas vacation. I put so much time into it and finally turned it in to Michael today, only to have him say that it was all wrong and that I have to redo the entire thing by tomorrow morning. That's why I need to get going. I have to get started soon because this is going to take me all night…" Gabriella murmured.

Troy looked at her with an shocked expression. "That's awful. Michael's making you redo the whole thing in one night? What an asshole," Troy remarked, and then put his hand gently on Gabriella's thigh. "Can I do anything? Can I help you with any part of this project?"

Gabriella smiled at Troy's kindness. "No. But thanks for the offer."

"You really worked hard on it, didn't you?" Troy asked, leaning forward so he could see more of Gabriella's face.

Gabriella was quiet for a moment, fighting the emotions that were quickly building up inside her. The entire day had been one disappointment after another. And it was true – she did work really hard on the project and thought it was one of her best ever.

And there they came. Tears started filling the petite brunette's eyes and her bottom lip started quivering. This was not good. Not in front of Troy…

"Yeah, I did," Gabriella answered, her voice thick with sadness and disappointment.

Troy's eyes widened as he saw the tears start to roll down Gabriella's cheeks. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap, holding her tightly against his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Gabi. I'm so sorry…" Troy repeated like a mantra, rocking her gently and burying his head in her curls.

Gabriella basked in the content feeling associated with being held by Troy. She closed her eyes as her sobs died down slightly and pulled herself tightly to her husband against her will.

"It's not your fault. But thank you, Troy," she mumbled into the curve of his neck.

It wasn't exactly a friendly hug. Troy and Gabriella sat there for a good two minutes, just holding each other and soaking in the comfort that the other provided.

Finally, Gabriella's brain caught up with her heart and she realized that as much as she enjoyed being in Troy's arms, this was going to hurt like hell later.

"Um…" Gabriella said quietly, breaking the intimate moment between the couple. Troy pulled away from her and cleared his throat. Gabriella stood up from his lap and Troy followed.

"I know this seems kind of random, but I was going through the closet the other day and found the Christmas present I was going to give you. I put it in Caleb's duffel bag," Gabriella said, shifting the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder.

"Oh…" Troy said, surprised. "Thank you."

Troy's mind immediately wandered to the tiny box tucked away in his nightstand. He quickly disregarded it, knowing it was no longer appropriate to give Gabriella his Christmas present now that they were getting divorced.

"You're welcome," Gabriella said awkwardly. "You should probably get back to Caleb. You know, make sure he doesn't burn down the complex and all."

"Yeah," Troy let out a dry laugh. "Good luck tonight. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"Thanks," Gabriella smiled, and was surprised to be engulfed in another hug.

"Bye," Troy mumbled into her hair.

"Bye." Gabriella pulled away and walked toward the stairs. The ache in her heart immediately grew as she moved farther away from the one person who could heal it.

* * *

"They'll be here, Gabriella. Don't worry. I'm sure practice is running a little late. Besides, I'm sure Chad's taking extra long in front of the mirror to attempt to seduce me. As if he could when the only thing he can do with his hair is leave it in its natural afro form."

Gabriella giggled at Taylor's comment. Both women were sitting in a local church auditorium that was slowly filling with parents and friends, waiting to watch Caleb's stage debut. This was a pivotal moment for Caleb, according to Taylor. Because Gabriella and Troy had been in several of their high school's musicals, Caleb may have inherited the acting bug. Once Troy had mentioned his Thursday night plans to Chad, both he and Taylor jumped at the chance to see their "nephew" perform on stage.

"He's still trying to seduce you? I thought you both came to an agreement?" Gabriella questioned, glancing around the room once more to look for the person she expected to come.

Gabriella wasn't looking for Troy because she wanted to see him. Rather, she was looking for Troy because she wanted to avoid him.

The brunette had spent the entire night after she dropped off Caleb at Troy's apartment depressed and dejected. She didn't even finish her project because she went to bed early to try and forget about her husband and how much she wished he was lying next to her. Troy had texted her that night, several times in fact, to ask how she was doing and if she wanted him to come over and help. He even texted her encouraging words, like how amazing she was at her job and how Michael had his head up his ass and was too blind to see he had the best working for him.

Gabriella hadn't answered a single one, but nevertheless, they kept on coming.

She hadn't spoken or contacted Troy since Tuesday, and she really didn't feel like talking to him today. She wanted to forget about him so that every thought of every minute didn't revolve around something to do with Troy. She wanted to give her mind some freedom, and she wasn't going to get it if Troy was always around.

The lights in the auditorium began to dim and people started to whisper. Gabriella looked at her watch to see it was five minutes past noon.

"We did, but he's Chad. He's always trying to get something from me," Taylor giggled, and Gabriella smiled. "Oh, look! There they are."

Taylor stood up and waved at two tall figures in the back of the auditorium. Gabriella sunk a little lower in her seat, before an idea sparked in her head and she moved to sit on the left side of Taylor.

"What are you doing? That's Chad's seat," Taylor asked, curiosity laced through her comment.

"I'll sit here, and Chad can sit on your right. It's fine," Gabriella's voice shook as the two figures drew closer. It was like being near Troy made her nervous beyond belief. She became hyperaware of her actions.

"But then you and Troy…" Taylor trailed off and let out a huge sigh as she realized her friend's intent for moving. Taylor was still pissed off at Gabriella for filing for divorce.

Gabriella didn't care if it was immature to move her seat so she wouldn't have to sit by Troy. If she was going to pay attention to this play, it certainly wouldn't happen with Troy next to her.

Chad and Troy's faces finally came into view as they moved to sit down in the two open seats at the end of the second row.

"Hey, Gab! Hey, Baby," Chad gave Taylor an enthusiastic kiss before sitting down next to her. Troy looked a little confused but sat down in the seat next to Chad.

"How's it going, Taylor?" He asked politely before leaning forward to look at his wife. "Hi, Gabriella," he said gently, a hurt expression crossing over his face when Gabriella gave him a forced smile and turned her attention to the red curtain on the stage.

Chad saw the exchange and patted his friend on the arm. "It's alright, man. Shake it off. It doesn't mean anything."

Troy let out a sigh and nodded, but he still felt a little wounded.

Truthfully, he'd felt wounded since Tuesday.

After Troy had come home from the airport that afternoon, he purposefully decided to go exercise an hour before Gabriella would drop off Caleb. He had rushed back to the room ten minutes before they arrived and wiped off the sweat on his face, fixed his hair, and put on some cologne.

Yes, the whole answering the door with no shirt thing was planned, but Troy had nothing to lose. He needed to be with Gabriella, and he was going to do everything he could to win her back, even if it meant trying to seduce her.

And it had worked. At least he thought. Gabriella's eyes had immediately focused on his chest and didn't leave there through the entire exchange with Caleb. He noticed how her breathing picked up slightly and that when she talked to him her eyes would flash quickly to his chest every so often.

She had always been a sucker for him with his shirt off.

Holding her that afternoon had been the best moment of the week. The fact that she allowed him to comfort her gave him hope that maybe their relationship could be saved. He would start by being her friend and then maybe it could develop into something more…

But when he tried to be friendly by texting her on Tuesday night, he apparently went too far, because she never answered.

Troy had literally stayed up until three in the morning, waiting for some kind of message from Gabriella to flash across the screen on his phone. And nothing ever came. It hurt Troy more than he wanted to admit, but the basketball star sucked it up and tried to give Gabriella some space.

The room darkened significantly, disrupting Troy's thoughts, and the red curtain was pulled open to reveal the stage behind it.

The play was very cute, but also very short. The kids had written it themselves with the help of the daycare attendants. Most of the children at the daycare center were around the ages of 2 to 7, so Caleb was one of the youngest. Nevertheless, Caleb stood proudly dressed in a children's Redhawks basketball uniform with Troy's number on the front. Because of his age, the toddler only said one line, "Basketball is the best sport!"

In all honesty, the play was hardly exciting. It was about a girl trying to figure out what sport to play at recess. But Gabriella had never been more captivated in her life. Watching her son on stage was so much fun.

When Caleb was first revealed in his basketball uniform, the brunette felt a smile reach her face. Without a thought she leaned forward and looked to her right to see Troy's facial expression, and felt her smile grow a little wider as she saw him beaming with pride. Troy glanced her way for a moment and connected their eyes, silently telling her how lucky he felt to have the best son in the world. Gabriella's eyes echoed back the same feeling.

After the play was over, which was about twenty minutes after it started, the four adults stood up and made their way to the foyer, conversing with each other while the kids put away their props and changed out of their costumes.

"Caleb was so adorable. In his Redhawks uniform, too? He looked just like his daddy, Troy!" Taylor cooed. She was one of Caleb's biggest fans.

"Yeah, he's my little man," Troy agreed, smiling brightly as his toddler raced around the corner and ran towards his parents.

"Did you see me? Did you see me?" He exclaimed, skidding to a halt in front of Gabriella and Troy and jumping up and down excitedly.

"We saw you, bud. You were amazing! Such a basketball star." Troy complimented, ruffling his son's hair.

"Mommy!" Caleb cried out in happiness once he saw Gabriella, putting out his arms so that she could lift him up. As soon as he was settled on her hip the toddler buried his face in her shoulder. "I love you, Mommy."

"Aw, honey. I love you, too. You did such a good job up there! Are you tired? Why don't I take you home and you can take your nap," Gabriella kissed her son on the forehead and looked at Troy. "Do you have his duffel bag?"

"Yeah. It's in my truck."

"Hey guys, we're going to head out. Thanks for letting us watch your play Caleb," Chad gave the toddler a high five.

"Thanks for coming Uncle Chad and Aunt Taylor…" Caleb politely thanked Taylor and Chad as they walked out of the daycare center.

"Can we go to Burger King?" Caleb looked at Troy questioningly. "I'm hungry."

Troy smiled at his son for a moment before answering. "Sure, why not?"

An alarm went off in Gabriella's head. Surely Caleb was referring to both Troy and herself taking him out to lunch. Gabriella really didn't think that was such a good idea. She didn't think she could handle being around Troy anymore.

"Caleb, you're tired. We can get something to eat at home. Daddy just had practice this morning. Let him go home and rest, okay?" Gabriella said to her toddler, bouncing him a little on her hip.

"NO! I want to go to Burger King!" Caleb screeched, and both parents immediately hushed him.

"I'm fine, Gabriella. I can go out to lunch," Troy said, looking at her intently.

Gabriella shook her head once again. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Troy's eyes flashed with anger. Something Gabriella hadn't seen much of before. So when he held his arms out for Caleb, she immediately handed him over.

"Can you go play over there for a few minutes, Caleb?" Troy asked, pointing to the play corner on the other side of the foyer. "I need to talk to Mommy."

Troy set the toddler down and watched as he ran toward the play area. The twenty-five year old then rubbed a hand over his face in frustration before looking at his wife.

"Gabriella...I know I've said this before, but seriously – _just because we're getting a divorce doesn't mean we can't still be friends._"

Gabriella looked away from Troy's intent gaze. "I know that, Troy. I just think that Caleb is really tired and he should take a nap -"

"Bullshit, Gabriella. You don't want to go to lunch because you don't…you don't want to be… near me," Troy had to force himself to say the last part, and Gabriella didn't miss the tiny amount of pain that she heard in the statement.

When Gabriella started this entire divorce process, she figured that Troy would be hurt for a few weeks, even a month or two maybe, but that he would quickly move on and find someone else. Maybe he would hook up with Beth, or maybe he would give another girl a try. But Gabriella never imagined that Troy would be in this much pain, and a little over two weeks since she broke the news, too. Two weeks was more than enough time to accept the situation for what it was.

Granted, two years wouldn't even be enough time for Gabriella to move on from Troy, but she was different. Troy was more outgoing and attractive than she was. And he had girls throwing themselves at him everywhere he went. He would surely want someone else in his bed soon.

"It's not that, Troy…" Gabriella mumbled, looking at the ground so that she didn't have to surrender to his eyes. "It's just…we're getting divorced. And yet we still see each other practically every day-"

"So you're saying that you don't want to be friends? That you want…_nothing to do with me?_" Troy looked away from Gabriella's gaze, which had now refocused on his face. He internally swore as he felt liquid fill his eyes.

Gabriella took in a quick breath at the sight of the water in Troy's eyes. No, she hadn't missed that.

"That's not it, Troy," Gabriella murmured.

Troy closed his eyes. "It sure seems that way. I mean, I thought we were okay Tuesday afternoon and then you don't answer a single one of my text messages. You move seats today so you won't have to sit by me, and now you won't go to lunch….Yeah I saw you switch seats, Gab," Troy added after Gabriella looked shocked.

Gabriella blinked away a couple of loose tears and daringly placing a hand on her husband's face to cup his cheek. "We are okay, Troy."

Troy turned back towards her and placed his hand over the one she left on his cheek. "What is it, then? Why won't you go to lunch with me and Caleb? This isn't even about you and me, it's about our son. No matter what, Gab, we are always going to be in each other's lives because we had a child together. A child who wants to have lunch with his parents. Why can't you…suffer through a meal with me for Caleb's sake?"

"I…Troy…" Gabriella shook her head in defeat, dropping her hand from Troy's cheek. He was completely right. She needed to suck it up and go out to lunch for Caleb. Even if being around Troy hurt her, she needed to accept that as a consequence for making her son happy. "Okay. We can go out for lunch…"

Troy sighed deeply, looking at Gabriella with a sad expression. "Thank you," he said sincerely, before grabbing her hand with his. "I feel like…like this whole situation is difficult because we haven't really…talked about it. You know? Like…why you filed and where each of us stands with our feelings about it. I don't know about you, but I'm really…confused sometimes by the way you act. I can't read you…"

_No!_

Gabriella screamed in her head. Troy couldn't know the reason for the divorce. He couldn't know why she filed. It would ruin her whole plan. Of course he would claim that she was the only one for him and urge her to stop the divorce. When he heard that she was only doing it for him, and that the separation was killing her, he would surely feel free to kiss her and touch her in ways that would make her beg him to come back home. By the end of the conversation the divorce would be stopped, Troy would have Gabriella in his bed, and they both would be right back where they started. Troy might be happy initially, but as the weeks and months went by he would again realize that his wife – the one that remembered him – was never coming back. He would be hurt, and that was the last thing Gabriella wanted.

"I don't mean for this to be complicated, Troy…"

Troy leaned his head down close to Gabriella. With him being nearly a foot taller than her it would appear to an outsider that they were having an intimate moment.

"I just want to make sure we're on the same page…" he whispered.

"I know, but let's just…enjoy lunch for today, and save that conversation for another time…" Gabriella suggested, not leaving Troy any time to answer before she walked across the room to get Caleb.

* * *

Upon noticing the clock nearing one a.m., Troy shut off the television and rested his head against the headboard of his new bed. The young man let his eyes close as the silence of the apartment began to creep upon him.

It was so lonely there. Sure, some of his neighbors had been overly friendly, ecstatic that an actual Redhawks basketball player would be living near them. Some even invited him to cookouts and picnics in the complex, but Troy usually couldn't make them because he either had basketball or was watching Caleb.

Lying there in bed at one a.m., knowing that no one else was in his apartment, loneliness seemed to swallow Troy whole. Sure he had a great lunch with Gabriella and Caleb earlier that day, and had even gotten his wife to giggle at some of his jokes, but that didn't make him feel any better now.

It seemed like so long ago that he had the pleasure of opening his eyes to Gabriella every morning after his toddler ran into the room to wake them both up. Was his anniversary really only seven months ago? It seemed like it had been at least a year. Time went by so slowly when you were in pain.

Troy groaned in frustration. There was no way he was going to be able to fall asleep with all of these thoughts raging around in his head.

The young man reached under his bed and slid out Gabriella's Christmas present to him. It was a mini scrapbook titled "Daddy and Me", and was filled with pictures of him and Caleb. Gabriella must have dug up a ton of old photos from when Caleb was born, his first birthday, and other special events. Every photo made Troy smile, and it really helped to look at the album when he was feeling lonely without his son or his wife.

Which was exactly what Gabriella intended it to be used for.

He remembered the note she included in the book:

_Troy,_

_I hope you enjoy this scrapbook. I made sure it was travel size so you could take it on the road trips with you. Now you'll always have Caleb near. _

_Gabriella_

It was more than Troy had expected from her for Christmas, considering at the time she made it they probably hadn't gotten back together.

Troy flipped through the pages for a good twenty minutes. If anything, he still had his son, and Caleb would always love him unconditionally, even if his mother didn't.

Troy flipped off the lights and finally closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep before his morning shoot around at ten. The basketball star clutched the pillow next to him and wrapped his arms around it, trying to envision Gabriella lying next to him. He wanted to bury his face in her curls, feel her soft breath on his neck, and her tiny hand resting on his chest.

As Troy curled more tightly around the pillow he had no idea that Gabriella, fast asleep in their master bed, was doing the exact same thing.


	19. Dreams & Discoveries

Just in case you're confused, this takes place one month after the end of the previous chapter.

And this week was so much crazier than I thought it would be, so this is the last chapter I'm going to be able to post before I leave for school. I'm really sorry. I might be able to write one before Thanksgiving though, so be on the lookout.

Um… I'm really nervous about posting this chapter. I don't know what you guys will think of it. This is the direction I had planned to take the story though.

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 19: Dreams & Discoveries**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"Aw… this sucks."

Gabriella mumbled into the pillow on the couch. She reached over to the coffee table in front of it to grab another tissue.

Gabriella had no idea how she caught this cold. Normally she was a healthy person. She was always washing her hands and taking vitamins. She ate healthy foods and rarely drank. So that led the coughing brunette to come to one possible reason for her sickness.

Troy.

Well, not Troy exactly, but the stress from divorcing him. It was hardly surprising. Didn't everything come back to Troy these days, anyway?

Between her job and the whole ordeal with Troy, Gabriella was feeling more stress than ever. It made total sense. Stress weakened the immune system, so Gabriella must have caught a cold while her defense was down. It didn't help that it was now February either – flu season.

Not much had changed since Gabriella's conversation with Troy after Caleb's play. Though they exchanged very limited words, both made an effort to be friendly around each other for Caleb's sake. Not that it was hard to be friendly, but sometimes the words left unsaid hung between them and made standing in the same room extremely awkward.

Gabriella couldn't believe she had managed to avoid having a conversation about her reasons for the divorce with Troy for a month. She had been terrified that when he mentioned talking about it that afternoon that he would incessantly push her to tell him her reasons behind filing. But Gabriella was surprised when Troy never brought it up again.

However, there was one close call – at Caleb's birthday party three weeks ago. She couldn't avoid her husband there.

Troy's parents, Taylor, Chad, and of course, her and Troy, had all been there to watch Caleb celebrate his third birthday. Her little boy had the biggest smile on his face as he tore into a stack of presents as high as the ceiling. The party had started out nice and relaxing, with just Chad and Taylor over, but then Troy's parents arrived, and Gabriella's stress level went through the roof.

Sure, she had seen her mother and father-in-law since the start of this whole divorce process, but it had always been in passing. Lucille or Jack would drop Caleb off if they took care of him while Troy and Gabriella were dealing with divorce issues, and no more than a couple words would be said. Neither had even mentioned the divorce, either.

Lucille had given Gabriella a sweet smile and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek as she pulled away. Jack gave her a hug with the same intensity and smiled brightly at her. They had been so nice and sweet – almost nicer than they had ever been before. So naturally,

Gabriella was pretty sure they hated her.

There was no way anyone would be that nice to someone who was breaking their son's heart. Even if they were trying to make the son happy in the long run.

Regardless of Troy's parents being there, Gabriella felt most uncomfortable when Troy showed up…almost an hour and a half late.

Gabriella had been kind of pissed off. She told Troy to be over to the house by two, and he didn't even have the decency to show up until three-thirty.

Of course, the way he explained himself to her got her even more frustrated.

"_Sorry I'm late. I had a meeting with my coach. It was mandatory_…" Troy had murmured into her ear, his lips getting a little too close to her earlobe so that they gently grazed it. His hand found its way to the small of her back and he rested it there.

Gabriella had sucked in a breath at the contact, and it was painfully obvious that Troy noticed her reaction, because his eyes betrayed his curiosity and he suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her into living room where it was quiet.

Gabriella could still recite in her head what he had said to her.

"_Gabriella…There's something I have to explain to you," Troy said seriously, grabbing her hand in between two of his. Gabriella sat down on the couch and Troy took a seat on the coffee table so that he could face her. _

_Gabriella was suddenly very wary of where this conversation was going. But as long as he didn't take his shirt off, it was okay. She wouldn't be able to resist him the next time she saw his bare chest, and all of her hard work would be ruined. _

"_What is it?"_

"_Well…" Troy rubbed the back of his next nervously. "Chad told me that when you came up to Chicago you saw…um…Beth."_

_Gabriella's eyebrows raised as Troy mentioned his dinner date. She honestly hadn't expected him to bring her up. _

"_Yeah. I saw her, but Taylor explained everything, and you don't have to-"_

"_I want you to hear this from me, Gab. I want to make sure I've laid everything out on the table, just in case…um…" Troy trailed off and Gabriella noticed the pink blush now forming on his cheeks. _

"_Just in case…what?" Gabriella asked, trying to catch her husband's gaze. _

"_Just in case this is the reason you…well…filed for divorce…" Troy mumbled, looking at the ground. _

"_Oh…" Gabriella didn't know what to say._

Troy's story had turned out to be true to Taylor's, and she knew that Troy had never cheated on her. But Gabriella couldn't just stop the divorce now. Not when she could still give Troy a chance at unconditional love that didn't hurt him without even trying.

"_That's exactly what Taylor told me, Troy. I believe you. I know you didn't cheat on me with Beth," Gabriella assured her husband. _

_Troy started to massage her hand between his. _

"_So…the whole situation with Beth isn't the reason you filed for divorce?" Troy's expression became so utterly painful that Gabriella had to look away. She knew what he was thinking. She knew he thought she wasn't in love with him or didn't like him. _

_Gabriella chose not to answer. _

"_I understand, Gabriella. But I hope that one day you'll feel comfortable enough to say that reason to my face, as much as it may hurt. I'd really like to have everything out in the open before we officially… separate," Troy said._

_Gabriella closed her eyes, trying to push down the strange feelings that yearned to comfort Troy. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly. _

_So for once, that's exactly what she did. _

_Gabriella shifted her body closer to Troy's and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. Troy immediately enclosed her in his arms, leaning down in a protective and comforting way._

"_Please let me in…let me know what's going on in your head. I'm not going to hurt you Gabriella…" Troy mumbled, clutching at her t-shirt a little tighter. "If you just tell me Gab, I can fix it, but I can't do anything if you don't tell me. I can change, Gabriella. I'll do whatever you want me to do. You've just got to open up to me."_

"_I want to, Troy." Gabriella became vulnerable for a moment. Probably the most vulnerable she had been throughout this entire divorce process, and Troy certainly took advantage. He lifted his wife into his lap and cuddled her close to his chest. This time, Gabriella didn't resist. _

_She felt Troy press a kiss to her temple. "Why don't you then, Gab? What's stopping you? Please don't say you're trying to protect my feelings. Whatever it is I'm sure with time I'll get over it…"_

_Gabriella remained quiet for the few minutes that Troy held her. Troy had unknowingly stated her answer for divorcing him. _

_With time, he'd get over her. _

Gabriella sniffled again slightly, rubbing her nose. Ever since the party she had been craving Troy's touch. She couldn't hide the fact that she loved being in his arms and that his lips on her face made her sink into a world of enchantment. He was truly perfect, and it broke Gabriella's heart to know that she wasn't a good enough woman for him. He deserved better than her.

That didn't stop Gabriella from having her...dreams. They had been occurring on a regular basis ever since Troy left the house. They all involved Troy, but some were more intense than others. Especially the dream she had a week ago. The details were so vivid she could've sworn it was real.

"_Hey," Troy mumbled, pressing his lips to Gabriella's shoulder. "Come to bed, baby. It's late…"_

_Gabriella frowned, trying to figure out exactly how to put what she wanted to convey into words. "Troy, I can't. I have to finish this essay…"_

_Troy sighed, kissing up Gabriella's neck slowly. The brunette felt her eyes flutter close as Troy reached her jaw. _

"_Is it due tomorrow, or can it wait?"Troy asked, kissing her forehead._

_Gabriella sighed. Why did he have to make going to bed so alluring?_

"_No. Not tomorrow – the day after. But I need to finish it because I'm going to have a lot to do tom-"_

_Troy cut Gabriella off with a sweet and sensual kiss. His lips moved slowly with hers, and he managed to entice her out of her chair and into his arms. Troy picked her up and walked her over to their bedroom, where he pulled back the covers and snuggled in behind her, wrapping her in his arms. _

_Gabriella's eyes closed as she breathed out a content sigh. She was so tired and to fall asleep in Troy's arms was all she wanted at the moment. _

"_I love you, Troy," she mumbled, turning her head to place a kiss on his lower jaw. _

_She saw a sincere smile come over his face. "I love you too, Baby. But because it's so late, and you're too tired to do anything, I think you owe me something tomorrow…"_

_"Oh, really?" Gabriella grinned, flipping over and pulling herself close to Troy. _

_"Mmhmm. Really," Troy groaned as Gabriella hitched her leg around his hip. His hands found their way to her waist, holding her steady there._

_"What do I owe you?" Gabriella questioned naively, playing with Troy as fire came into his eyes. _

_"I think you know…" He whispered, suddenly capturing her lips and rolling himself on top of her. His body pressed against hers perfectly, and he began a hot trail of kisses down her neck –_

The shrill ring of the phone suddenly blasted Gabriella off the couch, interrupting her memory of the dream. She closed her eyes for a second, letting the blood rush from her head. Those dreams were the only thing keeping her going. She craved to actually feel Troy's hands on her, his arms wrapped around her, their lips molded together…his body pressed tightly against hers. Just like she had two months ago when they slept together.

If these dreams weren't memories, then Gabriella's subconscious was seriously trying to tell her to sleep with Troy, and soon – before she physically combusted from the lack of stimulation.

Gabriella shook her head, forcing herself to come back to the real world. Sure, sex with Troy was pretty much the one thing she wanted at the moment, but it wasn't going to happen, so she might as well give up the idea.

God, she really wanted him, though.

Gabriella walked slowly over to the kitchen to grab the phone off the wall.

The caller ID read _California Call_.

_Weird_ Gabriella thought, and chose not to answer it. It was probably some solicitor anyway.

On her way back to the couch Gabriella's mind started racing, sudden connections being made in the millions per second.

California – San Francisco – the airport – Christmas break – junior year breakup…

…

"_Gabriella if you would just listen to me for one second-"_

"_Troy, I really don't want to hear or listen to anything you say right now, okay?" Gabriella snapped with tears streaming down her face, she attempted to push Troy out the door but he held his ground, and her hands were pressed uselessly against his chest. _

"_PLEASE! Let me explain! I know it looks bad but nothing happened! I was set up or something…"_

"_Or something? Wow, Troy," Gabriella sighed, momentarily letting her guard down as Troy wiped the tears off her face. _

"_Don't do this, okay? I love you…" _

"_Troy, if you really loved me this wouldn't have happened…" _

"_IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!" Troy bellowed, grabbing Gabriella's hands to make his point. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion…"_

_Gabriella shook her head, more tears falling from her face. There was too much evidence. He was obviously lying. Something had happened and she couldn't just let it go._

"_I loved you, Troy…" she muttered, looking at the ground. Troy bent his head down to her level to hear her better. "But I can't trust you anymore."_

_Troy looked shocked and broken. His mouth hung open slightly as he digested what the brunette in front of him was saying._

"_So that's it? We're done?" Troy swallowed a lump in his throat. _

"_I'm sorry, Troy. I really wish this could've worked out. I still care about you and wish you all the best, but I can't be in a relationship with someone I don't trust…" Gabriella turned away from the man in front of her. _

"_But, Gabriella. I didn't do anything with-"_

"_Please leave, Troy. I want to be alone right now."_

"_Fine, Gabriella. For the record, I'm telling the truth. Maybe it's better that we break up. I don't want to be with someone who can't trust me…" Troy said in a frustrated tone, leaving Gabriella speechless, with a fresh batch of tears pouring from her eyes. _

Gabriella whipped around back toward the phone, smacking her head hard on the wall she had inadvertently traveled too close to.

"Ouch…damn it!" She swore, sinking to her knees and rubbing her now throbbing temple. Could that have been like the memory she had in Chicago? But they looked so much younger. She couldn't help but think it was their college breakup Taylor had told her about.

Gabriella felt wetness on her fingers and pulled them away from her forehead to see a tiny amount of blood. Not much, but enough to make her nauseous. The brunette ran to the bathroom and threw up everything she had for breakfast.

As she slumped against the bathtub, sitting on the floor, Gabriella's brain took over her once again.

"_Um, I know we're not together anymore but I got something for your birthday and I wanted to give it to…" Troy finally looked up from the floor, his eyes widening as he gazed upon the sight before him. _

_Gabriella, in her lingerie, with a guy on top of her. A guy that wasn't him. _

"_TROY!" Gabriella screeched, pulling the blanket over her and the mystery guy. _

_Raw pain flashed across Troy's face. He did nothing to hide how much the scene in front of him hurt. _

_Quickly regaining his ability to think, Troy stuttered out an apology._

"_Uh…um…I'm really sorry…I just…" the basketball star practically ran out of the room, tears blurring his vision. _

_Gabriella shoved out of bed, putting on a bathrobe and chased him down the dorm hall. _

"_Troy! Please wait up!" She stopped him just before he reached the elevator. _

"_It's okay, Gabriella. I'm sorry. I should've waited after I knocked instead of just coming in."_

"_No, Troy…" _

"_We're not…together anymore, Gabi. It's okay if you…sleep with…other guys. That's none of my business anymore. I just wanted to give you a birthday present. Happy birthday," Troy said quietly, blinking away the tears. He maintained a strong face for Gabriella, but she could see how much he was hurting deep down. _

"_Troy, I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to-"_

"_Like I said, it's okay. I want you to be happy. I want you to find some nerdy boy that you can talk physics with and who will understand you. I want you to find a guy that treats you like a queen, Gabi. I want all the best for you, and if that guy's gonna give it to you, go for it."_

"_Troy, it's not like that," Gabriella said forcefully, trying to get Troy to understand. _

"_It's okay, Gab. You don't have to explain." The young man wiped away the tears that were leaking from his eyes. "Happy birthday. Goodbye."_

From the bathroom, Gabriella suddenly heard knock on the front door and then a key being pushed into the lock. It must have been Troy. He was supposed to drop off Caleb at one, and he still had his own house key.

"Gabriella? Are you home?"

The brunette heard the most soothing voice in the world call out her name. She quickly scrambled to her feet and started cleaning up the mess she made. Unfortunately she didn't clean quickly enough.

"Gabriella?" the door to the bathroom was pushed open to reveal Troy. His calm expression suddenly became one of worry as he saw the cut on her forehead.

"Gabi, are you alright? What happened to your forehead?" Troy walked into the bathroom pressed the pad of his thumb on the cut.

"I hit my head. Nothing big. It's not serious," Gabriella reassured him. Forcing herself to move away from Troy. If she didn't she was going to cave into his intoxicating touch.

Gabriella left the bathroom and Troy followed her out.

"MOMMY!"

Gabriella entered to kitchen to find her toddler smiling brightly at her.

"Hey, sweetie! How was your morning with Daddy?" Gabriella grinned, picking up her little boy and kissing him affectionately on the cheek.

"It was AWESOME! We went to the zoo! I saw a bear!" Caleb screeched excitedly, clapping his hands together.

Gabriella turned around to see Troy standing on the other side of the kitchen counter. He blushed a little once he saw her looking at him and stared at the ground.

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Gabriella commented. "Are you hungry sweetie?"

"YEAH!" Caleb cheered, and Gabriella giggled as she freed the toddler from her arms. Caleb immediately ran into the living room to watch TV.

"Ewww!" the toddler said with a disgusted look on his face as he ran back into the kitchen not even ten seconds later. He held up one of Gabriella's used tissues.

"Oh, sorry sweetie. That's Mommy's…"

Troy suddenly caught Gabriella's gaze, the look in his eyes questioning.

"Are you sick?" he asked curiously.

Gabriella took the tissue from her toddler and dumped it in the trash. "Yeah. I think it's something minor though. It should go away in a few days."

Troy nodded slowly, eyeing the bunch of used tissues on the table.

"Do you…want me to stay awhile? I mean…I can make Caleb some lunch and watch him while you lie down. I don't mind…"

Gabriella stood still for a moment, looking at Troy intently. Her heart screamed _YES!_ Of course Troy should stay. When Caleb took his afternoon nap in a half hour she could entice him into her bed!

But the rational part of Gabriella quickly shook off that thought, completely disgusted with herself for even thinking about it.

It was hard to blame her, though. Troy stood there by the stove, looking like pure sex. He had his hands in his pockets, wearing a navy blue long sleeve shirt that hugged his bulging biceps and pectorals. The light washed jeans he wore made his entire ensemble look as though he hadn't even tried to look appealing.

However, that was not the case.

Troy had carefully planned out his outfit for that day, just as he did on all the days he would see Gabriella. He wanted to make sure he looked extra nice for her. Sure, it was a long shot, but after seeing how she responded to him having his shirt off, Troy felt a little bit of hope that maybe Gabriella was at least still physically attracted to him.

Troy had desperately been trying to get the upper hand that day, but even though Gabriella was standing there in her grey sweats and a black tank top, her hair up in a messy ponytail and her face with no makeup, she still looked absolutely gorgeous.

Troy couldn't believe it. But he had to admit he loved the fact that she didn't even have to try to be beautiful. She just was.

"Um… That's okay. I actually think I'm going to go to the doctor. My head still hurts and it's already been through enough trauma. I'm sure a check-up wouldn't hurt it. I haven't had one in a while…" Gabriella finally spoke up, forcing herself to look away from Troy.

"Do you want me to drive you?" Troy asked, giving Gabriella a look that let her know he wasn't comfortable with the idea of her behind the wheel of a car.

"I'll be fine, Troy. I'll just have Taylor watch Caleb. I'll be gone for less than an hour."

"Gabriella," Troy said desperately. The petite brunette watched as a frantic expression came over her twenty-five year-old husband's face.

"I really don't think it's a good idea for you to drive when you can't concentrate. I mean…Jesus. You already got into -"

"Troy, calm down. I'll be fine. It's just a gentle throb, but I want to make sure it's nothing serious. _I will be fine._ Don't worry," Gabriella's eyes tried to convince Troy that she was independent and didn't need him, but inside she was crying out for his comfort.

Troy stood there silently, looking at Gabriella with an unreadable expression. His blue eyes almost sparkled. Gabriella became captivated by them.

"Okay," Troy nodded, looking back toward his son. "How about I take Caleb for the rest of the afternoon then? I'll bring him by later tonight."

Gabriella frowned a little bit. She didn't want to give up time with her little boy.

"You can keep him a few extra hours if you want, Gab. I'm not trying to encroach on your time with him, I'm just trying to help you out," Troy defended.

Gabriella let out a sigh, nodding as she looked at her little boy, smiling happily without a clue as to what his parents were talking about.

"That…would be really helpful. Thank you, Troy. I'll go see if I can get in with Dr. Weber today." Gabriella reached for the phone on the counter and began to dial the number of Albuquerque General Hospital.

Troy stood there awkwardly until his son came and wrapped his tiny arms around his leg.

Troy smiled, letting out a sigh before he scooped his mini-me up into his arms. While talking on the phone, he saw Gabriella send a genuine smile at the two of them, obviously noticing how similar they looked to each other.

"Alright, I can get in right now, so I'm going to go…" Gabriella left the kitchen for a moment before she came back in to give her son a kiss on the forehead.

The close proximity was enough to send Troy's nerves into overdrive. Caleb remained in his arms when Gabriella bent down to kiss him, her face coming dangerously close to Troy's.

Gabriella's eyes connected with Troy briefly as she pulled back, and it looked as though she had noticed how close they had gotten, too.

"Bye, baby," Gabriella whispered to Caleb before making her way to the front door.

Troy stood there a moment before he smacked his free hand to his forehead, and completely forgetting that his son was in his arms, staring at him curiously, Troy said,

"Fuck. I've got practice in thirty minutes!"

* * *

"Well, anyways, I got Taylor this diamond necklace, and a pink gorilla with a box of her favorite candy. I'm planning taking her out to dinner and then going for a walk in the park. Do you think that's a good plan?"

Chad looked nervous as he waited for his best friend's answer. Troy finished his last rep for the bench press before he looked up at his friend, remaining silent.

"Are you sure you're okay with me talking about this?" Chad asked, seeing Troy's dejected expression.

"Yeah, man. You're my best friend. I'm here for you," Troy said. "I think that's really romantic. I'm sure she'll love it."

"Thanks, Troy. I'm hoping I outdo last year," Chad grinned, picking up some hand weights.

"Uh, yeah. I'm sure that won't be hard to do. Getting her a box of chocolates, which she was allergic to, at the last minute wasn't really romantic, Chad," Troy laughed before suddenly becoming thoughtful. "What am _I_ going to do for Valentine's Day this year?"

Chad put down the weights he was holding and gave his friend a sympathetic look. "I don't think you do anything, man. I know you and Gab are still married but…you're not really together anymore. Sorry, I don't know how else to put it."

Troy nodded, his chest painfully clenching as Chad said the words aloud. He knew that he and Gabriella weren't really together anymore, but he still wanted to do something for her. Troy couldn't help himself when it came to Gabriella. He loved getting her things and seeing the surprised and elated expression on her face. He loved how she looked at him with such gratefulness and love. Making her happy made him happy.

"I still want to do something. Maybe I can't do a date, but I could get her something. Like…jewelry or something? Nah, that's lame. Too cliché…." Troy muttered to himself.

"Hey! Taylor's always wanted a diamond necklace!" Chad defended.

"Oh, sorry man. I didn't mean to diss your idea. It's just that Gabriella's really not into that kind of stuff. She prefers the simple things, like…ugh. A walk in the park. That would have been perfect if we were still together..."

"I'm sorry, man. How've you been dealing these past few weeks? You really haven't talked about it much."

Troy sighed, lifting up his shirt to wipe off his face. Both men walked toward the locker rooms, finished with their weightlifting.

"It's been…_really hard_, Chad. I'm not going to pretend like I'm tough. I'm losing the woman I love. It hurts like hell. This hurts worse than anything I've been through before. We've had a couple of moments here and there where I'll get to hold her and she'll let me, so that makes me think that she still cares, a little at least. I just don't know what's going to happen. At this rate, I'm sure in two months I will be…divorced from Gabriella," Troy choked out the words, his stomach flipping at the mere thought.

"What's your plan of action, then?" Chad asked curiously. "I've known you for years. You're not the type of person to give up without a fight."

Troy nodded, "You're right. I need to get her to agree to have dinner with me. My mom's been wanting to see Caleb anyway, so I figure that she'll watch him. That way it will be just the two of us. Nothing fancy or special, but a low key sit-down restaurant where we can talk about everything that's going on between us. I've got to find a way to tell her that I'm only agreeing to this divorce because I want to make her happy. I'm going to let her know that I still love her and really don't want to be without her,"

"That's a good plan, man. Let me know how it goes. And if you need any help with anything, let me know, or Taylor. We're your biggest fans," Chad grinned, punching his friend lightly in the shoulder.

"Thanks man. I'm praying that something good comes out of it."

* * *

"Well, Gabriella. I've checked the scans and everything looks fine. That nasty hit may have given you a cut, but your head didn't suffer any serious damage…"

Dr. Weber pulled up a tiny chair and rolled it over next to the examination table Gabriella was seated on.

"That's good news. Any new discoveries on the brain scans?" Gabriella asked. That was the real reason she wanted to see Dr. Weber. Sure, hitting her head had been the catalyst, but the brunette had been wondering for a while whether or not her dreams and scattered visions were a result of her brain trying to figure out her past.

"Unfortunately, no. I looked very carefully at each of them and I'm sorry to say there is no change. When you first had your accident I believed that you had a good chance at getting your memory back, and I still do. I think it will come in bits and pieces, though, and will probably take up to five, maybe even ten years at the rate you are remembering things. However, there is also a possibility that your memory won't ever fully return. I just don't know with a case this severe…" Dr. Weber explained, a kind expression on his face as Gabriella digested the information.

"Okay…" she muttered, looking at the ground a minute, trying not to feel too depressed."Well, thanks for checking everything. I really appreciate it." Gabriella got up from the table and leaned down to collect her purse, but before she could reach it a hand gripped her arm.

"Um, Gabriella, would you mind sitting down for a moment. There's something else we need to discuss…" Dr. Weber mumbled, almost nervously.

Gabriella immediately became wary of what he was about to say. He said there was no change in the brain scans…

"I'm worried about your immune system. I know you've been under a lot of stress lately, but you really need to stay healthy…" Dr. Weber lectured.

Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows. Why did he have to make it sound like he was about to tell her she had four days to live?

"Yeah, I know. It's just a cold though, so I'll get better soon…right?" Gabriella looked at the nervous expression on the doctor's face. Her stomach suddenly was fluttering with butterflies.

Dr. Weber swallowed, grabbing Gabriella's chart from the counter. "There may be no change in your brain, but we found something else…"

Gabriella's eyes widened and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"What did you find?"

* * *

"Hey, Troy. It's me. Sorry I missed your call…"

"_Oh, that's okay. I just wanted to let you know that Caleb's with my mom right now. I totally forgot I had practice at two, so I had to drop him off at her house. I'm really sorry about that…"_ Troy's soothing voice floated into the phone, and Gabriella almost broke down into tears right then and there. Suddenly his voice became too much, too real. Thank God Lucille would be dropping off Caleb tonight. She didn't think she would be able to handle seeing Troy for a while.

"That's fine, Troy. Don't worry about it. I know Caleb hasn't seen Lucille in a while," Gabriella paused, trying to catch her breath again. Her heart was racing and she needed to get off the phone with Troy before she did something stupid.

"Look, Troy. I've got to go-"

"Gabriella, wait," Troy rushed. "I wanted to know if you were interested in… going to dinner with me tonight? I feel like we haven't really gotten a chance to discuss everything that's been going on lately…"

Troy's voice sounded very hesitant over the phone, like he was nervous about asking her to dinner.

Gabriella froze, her mind racing. Sitting with him in an intimate setting for over an hour? She couldn't do it. There was no way she could do it.

"I'm really sorry Troy but I don't think I can…um…actually, something has come up with work and I can't go tonight. I'm sorry but I…can't," Gabriella mumbled her recited lie, hoping that Troy didn't ask any more questions.

"_Seriously?" _Troy paused for a moment. _"That…sucks." _

Gabriella breathed in a sigh of relief that he didn't ask her specifically what came up at work.

There was a long pause on the other end and Gabriella could hear Troy's breath hitch before he spoke.

"_Gabriella…is this…are you making this work thing up? Because if you are I'd rather you just tell me that you're not comfortable or not ready to have dinner with me…"_

Troy's voice sounded sincere and desperate, and Gabriella internally swore. This sucked. She couldn't lie to him when he pleaded with her like that.

"Um…no. There's nothing for work. I'm really sorry, Troy. I just can't do this tonight. I hope you understand…" Gabriella cringed as she waited for his response.

There was a long pause before, _"I don't…really understand, but it's okay. I'm willing to wait until you're comfortable. But I seriously think we need to have this dinner. Or if you want we don't even have to go to dinner, we can just talk. We just…need to talk. I have some…things… I want to tell you. It's just, this talk is really important. So I hope that you are able to find time in your schedule to sit down with me for an hour or two. I know it will be hard, but I promise that we will come out of it in a better place, where we will understand each other more…" _

Troy let out a little sigh, and Gabriella did everything she could not to break down into tears. She knew Troy was frustrated with her, and she wanted more than anything to have a long and intimate discussion with him right now, but with what happened today, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"_But until then, have a good night, Gabriella. Tell Caleb I love him please. Bye."_

Troy hung up the phone quickly, and Gabriella had to hold back a sob. Everything had just gone from complicated to disastrous that day.

Meanwhile, Troy threw his phone at the car seat and pulled his truck over into an empty parking lot to turn the car around. He was halfway to his old house, completely dressed and ready to go. He had truly believed that if he showed up at the door, Gabriella would've had no choice but to go to dinner with him. But after he heard the desperation in her voice over the phone – the desperation to be as far away from him as possible – Troy couldn't force himself or this talk upon Gabriella. He had to respect her wishers.

But it would've been so perfect! Troy had gotten a small bouquet of flowers for her and had planned on inviting her back to his apartment for a glass of wine or two after the dinner. This night was supposed to fix everything, to get everything out in the open so that they could work through it like a normal couple. Troy thought that there could still be hope for his marriage, and now he and Gabriella were right back where they started.

Troy pulled into his apartment complex, parking the truck and resting his head on the steering wheel for a moment before getting out. The young man trudged back up the stairs to his apartment, dressed nicely in a black tux with a bouquet of flowers in his hand, and the most defeated expression anyone had ever seen.

* * *

Gabriella sat on the couch that night, the time nearing three a.m. Caleb had passed out hours ago, but she couldn't sleep. Not with her mind racing. Everything that had happened today changed her entire perspective on the divorce. Not only that but on her life as well. On what she really _wanted_, and what she really _needed_.

No matter her revelations, one thought reoccurred in her mind like a broken record.

She was getting divorced from Troy…

…and she was pregnant with his child.

* * *

**Sorry for the cliffhanger. I had hoped to get chapter 20 out this week, so it really wasn't intended. **

**Hope you liked it!**

**And just an FYI, any questions that you may have will probably be answered in the next chapter. :)**


	20. Here

**So it's been a while, I know. But I forewarned you guys about that so it shouldn't be too surprising. Haha.**

**Anyway, I had some time so I decided to update! Hope you guys enjoy! :)**

**And thanks for all of your reviews. Your reactions to the last chapter made me smile.**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 20: Here**

**Rating:** **M**

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"Where is it? It's got to be somewhere…"

Gabriella opened another drawer to find only her curling iron and blow dryer. This was getting annoying.

The brunette yanked another drawer open and scanned it quickly, seeing facial creams and headbands. In desperation, she dug her hand deeper into the back.

"YES! I knew it!" Gabriella celebrated as her fingers closed around a square object. She pulled her hand out of the drawer and stared triumphantly at the tiny black packet…

…birth control.

It only took a few seconds for Gabriella's initial excitement to disappear and a wave of sadness to take its place. She pulled out the packet, observing how eight of the pills were missing. The last one was taken the day of her accident.

Ever since Gabriella found out she was pregnant a week ago, she was desperate to make sense of it. Yes, she had sex with Troy and because of that ended up pregnant, but Gabriella wanted to know if it always worked out that way. Maybe Troy was against contraceptives…she had no idea since she never thought to ask him. But based on the packet in her hand, clearly he wasn't.

Gabriella remembered the night of her reunion with Troy perfectly, and she knew he didn't use a condom. The brunette couldn't really remember why, but she was pretty sure they never stopped to find one. At first, Gabriella had been angry once she realized their forgetfulness. She believed that it might have been Troy's intention to get her pregnant so that she would stay with him.

But then Gabriella came to her senses. She hadn't planned on divorcing him that night, so there would be no reason to suspect foul play. And the fact that she was normally on birth control explained the real reason Troy opted not to use a condom.

Still, that didn't change the fact that she was pregnant with his child.

"GABI! Come downstairs!"

Gabriella let out a deep sigh at the voice calling her and stuffed the birth control in her pocket before making her way downstairs into the living room.

"What now, Mom?"

Gabriella stared exasperatedly at Carmen. The older Montez sat on the living room couch next to Taylor.

"We just wanted to talk to you for a couple of minutes. It's something that you had to have known was coming, so don't think you can get out of it, young lady," Carmen warned with a serious look.

Gabriella had been able to go five days without telling anyone about the pregnancy. At first, she seriously considered packing her things, leaving Caleb with Troy, and moving to a new city to ride out the rest of her pregnancy alone. But that was before Gabriella got Troy's note.

Gabriella had successfully avoided her husband for the entire week, and he clearly had noticed. Whenever Troy would drop off Caleb at the house Gabriella would make sure to be out of his sight. Even when Caleb was dropped off at Troy's apartment, Gabriella would watch from the end of the hallway to make sure her three year-old was let into the apartment by Troy and then took off before he could glance in her direction.

Sure, it was immature, but Gabriella couldn't be around Troy. She knew his soft eyes or intimate tone would make her blurt out her secret in a heartbeat.

After about four days of the hiding Troy finally gave up trying to talk to his wife and sent her a letter with Caleb when he dropped the toddler off one night.

_Gabriella,_

_I don't know what happened in the past few days that made you want to avoid me, but I'm sorry. I've been searching my brain, trying to figure out what I could have done to upset you, and all I can think of is asking you to dinner. I'm sorry if that was too forward of me. I never meant to make you uncomfortable. I guess I was just getting frustrated at not knowing why you asked for the divorce. I'm sorry for trying to push you into telling me. That was inconsiderate and selfish. I'm not going to bug you about it, so please don't feel like you have to avoid me to avoid that conversation. I'll be on my best behavior. Promise. _

_Troy_

Reading that letter made Gabriella realize that she couldn't just move away. Troy had been so understanding and considerate, and he always took the blame for everything. She was tired of screwing with his life. If she left, Troy would take responsibility, which wouldn't be fair.

Gabriella decided to stay in Albuquerque, but she was not planning on telling Troy about the baby. Maybe he would find out in time, but revealing her pregnancy to Troy would only prolong the divorce, and Gabriella was tired of dancing around in limbo while she waited for the inevitable to occur.

Not telling Troy didn't stop Gabriella from calling her mother after five days and telling her everything. Gabriella broke down, crying over the phone because she didn't know what the right thing to do was. Carmen immediately booked a flight to Albuquerque and walked through Gabriella's front door less than 24 hours later.

And she had stayed there ever since.

"Oh boy. This can't be good," Gabriella muttered, taking her place in the chair across from the couch. It was the typical interrogation set-up, which matched the mood of the room perfectly.

"Gabriella, we're not trying to interfere or anything. Honestly. It's just…you're my best friend. You have been forever and I want to make sure you are happy. So does your mom," Taylor leaned forward to place her elbows on her knees.

Carmen had called Taylor over shortly after she arrived in Albuquerque to tell the young woman about her best friend's predicament. Taylor was shocked and saddened by the stress Gabriella was going through, and wanted to help in any way she could.

Of course, Taylor had been sworn to secrecy by Gabriella. That's why sometimes it was not the best idea to have mutual friends with your significant other – the friends don't like choosing sides.

"It's true, sweetie. I want to make sure that you are happy. And I know you're not happy. You haven't been happy since the accident, and you've been even worse off since the divorce. As you're mother, I will keep flying my ass out here to Albuquerque until you get your life straightened out. This has got to be the third time I've been here since the accident! Don't make it four, honey."

Carmen raised her eyebrows at her daughter, trying to get the message through.

Gabriella stared back at the two women across from her. She closed her eyes briefly, wishing this entire situation would disappear. Getting a divorce from the man she was in love with was hard enough without throwing an unborn child into the mix.

"I appreciate that you both want me to be happy. I want to be happy, too," Gabriella sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"Well, Gabi, for one I feel like your divorce with Troy is making you unhappy. But you're the one who initiated it. If you don't want a divorce anymore, stop it. Troy _will_ take you back," Taylor encouraged.

"It's not like that, Tay. It doesn't matter that I'm-"

"That you're unhappy? Of course it matters Gabriella! I know you're divorcing him because you think it will make Troy happy in the long run, but you never once stopped to think of what Troy _wanted_. You decided what was best for him instead of letting him decide what he wanted. That's not fair to him, Gabriella. It's not fair to you, especially considering the fact that you are still in love with him," Taylor argued.

Carmen shook her head in approval. "We both know you love him, Gabriella. He loves you, too. You deserve happiness. You both do. Just let yourself be happy, honey."

"Everything is so complicated, Mom. I can't just-"

"Okay, so you're pregnant with Troy's child. No, that may not have been part of the plan, but consider it a blessing, Gabi. You and Troy had a very happy life up until your accident. Now you have the opportunity to be happy again. You guys can call off the divorce and raise another child together," Taylor said, looking at Carmen for help.

"You know the only reason why Troy is going along with this divorce is because he thinks you want it. If he knew you were just doing this 'for him' he would call the divorce off in a second. He loves you, Gabriella. I can't stress that enough," Carmen added.

Gabriella sat back in her chair, tears beginning to pool in her eyes.

"Gabi…" Carmen sighed, seeing her daughter begin to get upset.

"I just…I wish this would all go away. I wish either the accident never happened or that I _died_. Either option is better than all of this pain and suffering. I'm the bad guy, and I'm hurting everyone. Do you know how that makes me feel? Like a monster…" Gabriella wiped a tear from her cheek, shaking her head.

"Gabriella, you're not a monster. You've just been trying to put your life back together after a significant portion was taken from you. Don't blame yourself for hurting other people. We all know what you're going through is difficult and scary. All we're saying is that you need to give yourself the opportunity to live a happy life. You may not remember some of the things that happened, but you can start making new memories now," Taylor said.

"I don't think I can ever be happy. This accident will haunt me for the rest of my life…" Gabriella sighed, wiping more tears from her face.

"Oh, honey. No it won't. Let's take things slowly. All Taylor and I ask is that you take the first step and tell Troy about the baby. See how things go from there," Carmen encouraged.

Gabriella immediately stood up from her chair, her eyes widening in fright.

"I can't tell Troy about the baby, Mom. And you both were sworn to secrecy, so you can't tell anyone," Gabriella shook her head.

"Gabriella you owe it to Troy to tell him," Taylor argued.

"No. I can't. I just _can't_. I…can't talk anymore. I'm going upstairs to lie down," Gabriella quickly walked to the front hall, ignoring the whispers in the living room.

Gabriella didn't want to be a failure, but she was so damn confused and turned around. She wanted to do the right thing, but she wanted to be happy. Why the hell did she have to lose her memory?

Just as Gabriella reached the stairs the doorbell rang. The brunette turned around and saw her little boy unsuccessfully trying to peek through glass in the front door. She was sure her husband would be standing next to him.

Panicking, Gabriella ran up the stairs into her bedroom, shutting the door quickly. She sat down on the bed, catching her breath. She couldn't see him right now. She couldn't see him…ever. There would always be the risk of her giving in and telling him about the pregnancy. Or worse – telling him she was madly in love with him.

"GABI! ARE YOU GOING TO GET THAT?" Carmen yelled from the living room.

Ignoring her mother's call, Gabriella curled up into a little ball on her bed and let the tears leak from her eyes. This was all too overwhelming. She couldn't handle it right now.

The doorbell rang a second time, and the brunette heard feet padding on the floor and the door eventually open. She heard muffled voices, except for Caleb's cry of "GRANDMA!"

Gabriella tried to forget about the fact that Troy was downstairs, and closed her eyes tightly, still curled up on top of her bedspread.

She vaguely heard steps on the stairs and felt guilty locking herself up in the room when she should have been greeting her son. She would go see him, she really would. She just needed a moment to herself first.

"Five more minutes…" Gabriella mumbled, wishing that for the next five minutes she could forget everything that happened in her life up until now. Five minutes of peace.

Before her five minutes were up, the door to Gabriella's bedroom opened and closed gently. The brunette didn't open her eyes to greet her mother, knowing that she had nothing to say to her. Gabriella just wanted to be left alone. She didn't want to be bothered about Troy, the divorce, or the baby.

Gabriella felt the weight shift on the bed as her mother sat down next to her curled up form. She was surprised, however, by the unexpected soothing touch of the hand that started rubbing her back.

_Troy_.

Gabriella immediately became tense, shocked at the fact that the one person she wasn't expecting was in her room.

"Gab, it's just me," her husband's voice soothed as he continued to rub her back comfortingly.

Gabriella finally got enough sense to sit up next to Troy. He stopped rubbing her back and pulled his hand into his lap, staring at the bedspread. His eyes had bags underneath – proof that he had been getting very little sleep, and his face betrayed his exhaustion.

"Your mom said you guys got into a fight," Troy whispered.

Gabriella closed her eyes once more, becoming frustrated at the fact that no one would let her forget – even for five minutes – that her life was screwed up.

"Look, Troy, I'm _really_ not in the mood to talk about that, the divorce, or anything else. Sorry, but I just…can't. Not right now," Gabriella answered, pushing herself toward the top of the bed to rest her head on the pillows.

Troy was silent for a moment before making eye contact with Gabriella.

"I'm not here to talk about anything, Gabriella. I'm not here to ask you any questions, and I don't expect you to talk about anything. You're mom told me you got into a fight so…I'm just…here," Troy sighed, turning around and shaking his head. The young man stood up from the bed and made his way to the door.

Gabriella stared at her husband, shocked at what he just said. He really wasn't trying to get her to talk. He just wanted to be there for her, not as a husband or a lover, but as a friend and a source of comfort. Comfort she desperately needed…

…And comfort she was letting walk away.

"Troy…" Gabriella sat up on her elbows, relieved when her husband turned around. "Don't go, please," Gabriella held her hand out in invitation.

Troy stared at her hand, and without saying a word he kicked off his shoes and walked over to the bed, taking her hand and pulling her off.

"Troy?" Gabriella asked, observing as he set the decorative pillows on the floor and pulled back the sheets.

"Come here," he murmured in his husky tone, causing Gabriella to suck in a breath.

The brunette climbed into the bed and Troy followed, pulling the covers over them. He immediately encircled Gabriella's waist with his arm and pulled her close. Gabriella rested her head on his chest and without even thinking snuggled closely to her husband.

Gabriella lifted her head slightly to whisper in Troy's ear.

"You look so tired…"

Troy took a deep breath and smiled down at his wife. "Mmmmm. You do, too. I think we both could use some sleep."

With that, Gabriella let herself enjoy the comfort her husband brought and let the exhaustion overcome her.

* * *

"Come here, sweetie. There you go."

Gabriella cleaned the spaghetti sauce off her toddlers face and ruffled his hair.

"Can I have some candy? _Please?_" Caleb asked, using his big brown eyes to convince his mother.

Gabriella smiled, lifting her toddler into her arms. "You just had dinner, honey. Why don't you wait until later for a snack. Mommy's going to read you a story before bed."

Gabriella walked up the stairs to Caleb's bedroom. She set him down in his racecar bed before getting an idea.

"Here are the books, sweetie. Why don't you pick out one you want us to read? I'll be right back…"

Gabriella left her smiling toddler in his room as she walked next door into her own bedroom. Quietly, she shut the door behind her and sat down next to the sleeping figure in the bed.

He was _so_ tired, and she hated to wake him. She couldn't even think about doing it five hours before when she woke up.

Gabriella hated to admit it, but she really enjoyed taking a nap with Troy. She wasn't sure if it was the growing baby in her stomach, but she felt more connected to him than ever before. Just being in his arms was…right.

But she couldn't feel that way! She needed to control herself.

Gabriella had woken up after about two hours of sleep, and she spent a good fifteen minutes debating whether or not to wake up Troy. He looked so peaceful and content that she couldn't bother him. She may not have been sending the right message by letting Troy sleep in her bed for seven hours, but her excuse was that he needed the rest.

Even so, rest had its limits, and Gabriella was sure Troy would be upset if she didn't wake him up soon.

Gabriella gently placed her hand on Troy's forehead and pushed his hair back, rubbing circles on his skin with her thumb. He stirred gently before his eyes fluttered open, revealing his intense, but tired, blue orbs.

"Hey…" Gabriella whispered. "Sorry to wake you up, but you're going on seven hours of sleep…"

Troy's eyes widened in shock, and he sat up quickly. "What?" Troy looked at the clock. "Shit! I slept through my session with the physical trainer!"

Troy dug his hand underneath the covers to pull out his cell phone from his pocket. The basketball star looked at the screen, cursing again underneath his breath.

"That's going to be a fine. Shit," Troy mumbled again before sliding his phone shut and looking up at Gabriella.

"Troy, I'm really sorry. I thought you only had practice this morning-"

Troy cupped Gabriella's cheek with his hand. "No, baby, it's not your fault. Don't worry about it."

Gabriella sat there, stunned. Surprisingly, not at the fact that Troy called her "baby", but at the word "baby" itself.

The brunette had to calm her heart down in order to start breathing normally again.

"You okay, Gab?" Troy asked carefully, removing his hand from her cheek.

"Yeah…yeah I'm fine," Gabriella nodded, getting up from the bed. Troy followed.

"Well, I guess since it's already almost seven I should be getting home. I'll come pick up Caleb tomorrow afternoon – you don't have to drop him off."

"That's okay, Troy. I can swing by the apartment," Gabriella made up the bed while Troy put his shoes back on.

"No, I wanted to drop something off anyway. It's no problem."

Troy turned around to Gabriella, smiling slightly. "Thanks for letting me sleep. I swear that's the most sleep I've had in a long time."

Gabriella nodded, feeling slightly guilty due to the fact that she was sleeping in a comfortable king-sized bed while Troy had to buy a new one for his apartment.

"Of course," she said, watching as Troy turned around and left the room. "Troy! Wait!"

Gabriella ran out into the hallway to see Troy staring at her curiously.

"Why don't you stay a little longer. I made spaghetti for dinner. You must be hungry. And I'm just about to read Caleb a bedtime story. He's going to bed a little early tonight because Mom said he didn't take a nap," Gabriella stuttered, watching as Troy's smile grew wider.

"God, Gabriella. Spaghetti sounds amazing. And I'd love to read to Caleb, too. Thanks for asking," Troy agreed, gesturing towards Caleb's room.

"Hey, sweetie. Sorry about that. Mommy had to wake up Daddy. He was sleeping," Gabriella cooed to her three year-old, scooting onto his tiny racecar bed next to him.

"Daddy! You're still here!" Caleb cheered, jumping off the bed and running towards his father.

Troy laughed, picking up his toddler and kissing him affectionately on the head. "I'm going to help Mommy read to you. Is that okay?"

Caleb flashed his baby teeth in a big smile. "YAY!" he screeched.

"You and your loud voice, buddy. You certainly didn't get that from me," Troy muttered, setting his son in between himself and Gabriella on the bed.

Gabriella shot Troy a puzzled look. "Do you really think that could've come from me?" she asked, laughing.

Troy smiled. "I don't know. Maybe it came from my mom. She was a cheerleader in high school."

"Seriously? I didn't know that…um. Yeah," Gabriella trailed off, blushing. Of course she didn't now that. She forgot the majority of her life.

"Actually, I honestly think I never told you that," Troy shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, we better start reading before this little one falls asleep on us," Gabriella suggested, picking up Caleb's choice of book.

The two parents read to their child for fifteen minutes before his eyes drooped closed. It was a nice change for both of them to tuck in Caleb, but neither would admit it.

Just as they were walking down the stairs, Troy stopped and bent over to pick something up.

"I think you dropped this…oh. Um, yeah," he muttered, a light blush covering his cheeks.

Gabriella looked at the black packet in her hands and became speechless. She took the birth control from Troy and stuffed it back into her pocket.

"Uh…thanks," she said quietly, her heart racing. What if he connected the dots? What if he realized they didn't use protection the night they had sex and she could be pregnant?

Neither said a word until they reached the kitchen, and even then Gabriella wasn't very talkative. Troy watched, surprised and somewhat hurt, as Gabriella scooped spaghetti and sauce into a plastic container and handed it to Troy.

"It should only take about thirty seconds in the microwave. It's still kind of warm," Gabriella avoided Troy's confused eyes as he took the dish.

"Um…thank you. I guess I'll…see you tomorrow. Thanks again for letting me stay and - "

"No problem," Gabriella said hurriedly. She turned her back to Troy, ignoring the sigh he let out before turning around and walking toward the front door.

As soon as she heard the door open and close, Gabriella burst into tears. She wasn't sure if it was the pregnancy hormones, or if she was just so terrified of Troy finding out about the baby. The birth control had been a close call. She couldn't let him stay for dinner. Not when he had come so close to figuring out she was pregnant.

Gabriella slouched down on the couch, wiping her wet face with a tissue. She curled into a ball and stared out the window at the moon. Her hand found its way to her stomach, and she found herself rubbing it gently.

"Why?"

* * *

"Thanks for coming tonight, Gabriella. Apparently everyone else was busy."

Gabriella fidgeted with her hands. The fact that none of her co-workers could come discuss NGI's disastrous start to the quarter seemed too convenient.

"Well, I'm glad I could be here," Gabriella lied, putting on a fake smile. She would rather have been anywhere than having dinner with her boss Michael on a Friday night.

"Me too. I hope you like Italian. I've heard great things about this place," Michael commented, taking a sip of his water.

Gabriella glanced down at her menu – _Il Gusto Di Italia_. A sudden, uncomfortable feeling came over her, and the brunette frowned, trying to figure out why that name meant something.

"You okay, Gabriella?" Michael asked curiously, looking across the table at her.

"Uh…yeah. I'm fine. Sorry," she said, returning to the menu.

It only took Gabriella half the meal to finally convince Michael to stop talking about their personal lives and start discussing work-related issues. Gabriella did not want her boss to walk out of this dinner thinking they went on a date.

"I just have to say, I'm really disappointed in how this first quarter has started out. Our publicity is not horrible, but it's not great either. We're being overshadowed by KPMG, and that's unacceptable. I won't let our company lose customers to a bigger firm. Steven has said that you and your co-workers have been working hard with the press, but I'm not seeing anything come out of it."

Gabriella nodded, knowing that her work, alone, had been less than stellar.

"I'm very sorry, Michael. My co-workers _have_ been working hard. I know I've been taking a lot of half days to take care of Caleb, but I promise this next week I will start working full days with overtime. I know my work has not been up to par lately, but I promise it will get better. I just have a lot going on right now with my divorce," Gabriella explained, embarrassed to admit her failures to her boss. She had always been a perfectionist, but since her life took a downward spiral she had put her job on the back burner.

"Gabriella, I do understand. And I'm not blaming you, but I think it would be good for you to tell me some of the things you've been trying to accomplish so far and how they are progressing. If you have too much to do, I can give some of the work to one of your co-workers," Michael offered.

"That won't be necessary, Michael. I know I can do this work, I just have to - "

Gabriella's eyes widened as she spotted three figures dining at a table across the room.

_Oh, shit. This wasn't good._

Lucille, Caleb, and Troy were giving their orders to the waiter the moment Gabriella spotted them.

She immediately went into a panic attack. The last thing she needed was for them to think she was seeing another man before her and Troy were divorced.

"Um, Michael I'm really not feeling well. I think I should go," she mumbled, reaching into her purse for money.

Michael put his hand out to stop her. "Don't worry about it. I got the bill. What's wrong?"

Gabriella's heart stopped when she glanced over at Troy's table to see Lucille staring right back at her.

Instead of waving to her mother-in-law, Gabriella ducked her head to the side, hoping to avoid the next gaze she knew would be coming her way.

"I'm fine. I don't know, I just…had this nauseous feeling come over me. Must be from the fettuccini," Gabriella explained, moving to get out of her seat.

Michael held his hand out once again to stop her.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry your feeling ill, but if you wait just a minute I can get the check and walk you back to your car. I don't feel comfortable with you leaving by yourself in your condition. Please, stay," Michael said, flicking his hand toward the waiter to signal for the check.

Gabriella sighed, defeated. She sat back in her chair and reluctantly glanced across the room once more.

Surprisingly, Troy had not turned around. Lucille kept flicking glances over Gabriella's way but never made a move to point out her daughter-in-law to Troy.

But of course, Gabriella wasn't that lucky.

Just as the waiter brought the check, Troy finally turned his body around and looked around the restaurant, probably searching for what his mother had been glancing at the entire evening. Gabriella watched discreetly as Lucille tried to pull on her son's hand to stop him from looking.

Gabriella immediately felt guilty. Lucille was trying to protect Troy from finding out that she and Michael had dinner together. Gabriella just wished that she could explain to them that it wasn't a date.

Even though Lucille tugged on her son's hand, Troy kept looking for a few seconds. Gabriella sighed in relief when he turned his head around, but her heartbeat picked up again when he visibly tensed and whipped his head back around to make eye contact with Gabriella.

_Fuck_. _This really wasn't good._

Gabriella immediately looked away.

"Thank you," Michael said to the waiter as he handed his credit card off to him. "Sorry, Gabriella. It will only be another minute. Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really, I - "

"Gabriella?"

The brunette looked to her left to see Troy standing in front of her table. He had his hands shoved in his pockets and an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Troy. Hi. I didn't know you were coming here tonight," Gabriella answered, trying to choose her words carefully.

Michael looked between the two curiously, almost as if he wanted to say something, but decided he'd rather watch their conversation play out.

"Um, yeah. My mom wanted to see Caleb, so…um, we decided to go out to eat," Troy mumbled, glancing over at Michael. "Hi, Michael."

Michael nodded in greeting, keeping quiet.

"Um, we were just leaving," Gabriella said awkwardly. She desperately wanted to get away from those piercing blue eyes. Ever since she watched him wake up two days ago she couldn't get his eyes out of her brain. "I don't want to keep you from dinner."

"Oh, no. You're not. If anything I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner. It's just…Caleb noticed you were here and wanted to see you, but I thought I would ask first," Troy explained, looking back at his table where Lucille was watching him intently.

"He does? " Gabriella tried to fight the desire to see her child, but she couldn't. Troy had been taking care of Caleb for the past day and a half, and Gabriella missed her little boy.

She turned to her boss, "Do you mind, Michael? Just for a minute?" she asked gently, somewhat afraid of his reaction.

"No, not at all. I'll wait here to walk you out," he said, almost challenging Troy to say something back.

Gabriella noticed the tensing of Troy's jaw as he heard Michael's comment. The brunette couldn't stop the hand she put on his arm to calm him. Troy looked down at his wife and let out a breath before motioning for her to lead the way to his table.

"Mommy!" Caleb said happily lifting his arms into the air in his booster seat.

Gabriella smiled genuinely and picked up her toddler, squeezing him tightly to her chest. "I've missed you so much, honey. Are you enjoying your meal?"

Troy sat down in his seat and shared a quick look with his mom, something Gabriella didn't miss, but chose to ignore.

"I love it!" Caleb exclaimed, hugging Gabriella tightly.

Gabriella giggled at her son and set him back into his booster seat.

"I'm glad. Lucille it's nice to see you. Thank you so much for helping out with Caleb lately," Gabriella acknowledged her mother-in-law.

"Oh, honey. It's not a problem. It's nice to see you, too," Lucille smiled kindly.

"Well, I should probably get going. Thanks for letting me see Caleb," Gabriella said, starting to turn around.

"Sorry I interrupted your date…" Troy mumbled, causing Gabriella to turn back towards him.

"Troy, it wasn't - "

"Don't worry about it Gabriella. We're getting divorced. I understand that you're going to see other people," Troy stared up at Gabriella with sincere, but hurt eyes. He was trying to be the good guy, even though it was killing him.

Gabriella opened her mouth to tell Troy otherwise, but couldn't get out any words. She didn't want to talk about their relationship in front of his mother or their son. Besides, they were getting divorced, right. So what if he thought she was on a date. It shouldn't matter what Troy thought.

"Good luck at your game tomorrow, Troy," she muttered, and then walked away, leaving Troy looking after her with a dejected expression.

As Gabriella sat silently in her car moments later, she realized that no matter how hard she tried, she would always care about what Troy thought.

* * *

"Oh my God, another one! I've never seen him miss this many shots!" Carmen exclaimed.

"Well, maybe he's just off today. It can happen," Gabriella justified quietly, pulling her blanket tighter around the sleeping toddler in her lap.

"Honey, I don't think this is a fluke. Troy's gotten progressively worse the past two months, and the Redhawks are suffering. I know he can play so much better than this…" Carmen shook her head.

Gabriella buried her face in the blanket. She knew that Troy had been playing poorly the past month or so, but she refused to acknowledge it. She had stopped watching the games, so she tried to stay out of the loop. The only thing she ever wanted to know was whether or not the Redhawks won.

Troy may have been playing poorly the last month, but his play today made it seem like the previous month was full of stellar performances. Troy hadn't made one basket yet, and it was almost half time. He was still put in to play, but the coach should've taken him out. The Redhawks had 5 turnovers so far, and they were all caused by Troy. He had 4 fouls and had come dangerously close to getting a technical on two occasions.

And Gabriella could tell, he was frustrated.

So were the fans.

"He's still one of the better players in the NBA, Mom. He's just going through a rough patch," Gabriella sighed.

Gabriella's cell phone vibrated on the couch and she quickly reached for it, glad to have an excuse to avoid conversation with her mom for a few seconds.

1 NEW TXT MSG – Taylor

_Are you watching this? It's painful. _

Gabriella shook her head and typed a message to her best friend. Taylor still went to all of the home games even though Gabriella thought it wasn't appropriate to attend anymore.

_Yeah, I know. I feel bad but there's nothing I can do…_

A moment later, her phone buzzed again.

1 NEW TXT MSG – Taylor

_What if there WAS something you could do?_

Staring at the message, Gabriella immediately felt a sense of dread.

_What did you have in mind?_

* * *

This was stupid. Everyone was looking at her like Troy's bad game was her fault. Why did she decide to go somewhere where everyone hated her?

"This is a bad idea, Tay. What if I make it worse?"

"Trust me, Gabriella. This is Troy. There's no way seeing you is going to make it worse. The coach even had the locker room emptied out so you two would have some privacy. Cohen's desperate. The Redhawks may be down by 29 but they can still come back if Troy gets his head in the game. You're the only one who can help him do that," Taylor coached.

The two girls came up on the locker room door just as Coach Cohen came out.

"Good, Gabriella. You're here. I don't know what's gotten into Troy, but I'm at a loss for what to do. If you could just talk to him that would help. It may not fix anything, but you're our only hope. The locker room is empty for you guys. Thanks for trying," Cohen patted Gabriella on the back, adjusted his tie slightly, and walked past the girls.

"You've got 6 minutes until Troy needs to be back on the court. Do your thing, Gabriella," Taylor hugged her friend quickly and left the brunette standing in the middle of the hallway, alone.

Gabriella eyed the locker room door skeptically. What was she supposed to say to Troy? Especially when she was most likely the cause for his bad game? How was her being there supposed to make Troy's play better?

Nevertheless, Gabriella adjusted her purse on her shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Here goes..."

Gabriella wasn't sure what she was expecting to find. Maybe a pacing Troy, or a Troy about to bang his fist into one of the lockers. But what she wasn't expecting to find was her husband sitting on a bench with his head in his hands. He didn't see Gabriella because his back was facing her, but the brunette almost crumpled to the ground from the waves of depression and frustration that filled the room.

Troy must of heard her sharp intake of breath because his head whipped around and he looked at her intently. Gabriella didn't say anything, but waited for Troy to talk.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he growled, turning back around and putting his head back into his hands.

Gabriella stood motionless by the door, shocked at Troy's reaction to her. He had always appreciated seeing her before.

"Um," Gabriella started, feeling like she should say something, "I just wanted to make - "

"You just wanted to make sure I was okay?" Troy stood from the bench and turned around to face her. Anger flashed in his eyes and he had to clench his fists. For the first time, Gabriella was terrified of her husband.

"No you didn't. Cohen wanted to make sure. The team wanted to make sure. The owner wanted to make sure…" Troy shook his head and looked at the ground. "You don't care…" he mumbled.

Gabriella's mouth dropped open. "How can you even say that, Troy? Of _course_ I care. Why do you think I dragged my ass down here to come talk to you?"

Troy's eyes narrowed as he looked back up at Gabriella. "Because my coach asked you to. Chad asked you to. Taylor asked you to. Tell me, Gabriella. Did you come up with the brilliant plan to come see me at half time? Did you say to yourself, 'wow. Maybe I should go see if Troy's okay?'"

Gabriella looked at the ground, ashamed.

"That's what I thought…" Troy said harshly before kicking a locker next to him.

"Look, Troy, just because I didn't think to do that, doesn't mean that I don't care about you. You're the father of my child and - "

"And that's all I'm ever going to be, isn't it? The father of your child. Caleb's father."

Troy shook his head, laughing sarcastically to himself. Gabriella dropped her purse on the ground and walked toward him.

"You know what, Troy? You don't have to be an asshole to me. I'm not here to talk. I'm not here to ask you questions. I'm not here to bug you about why you suck today. I'm not here to give you a pep talk, I'm not - "

"Then why _are_ you here?" Troy interrupted. His tone was getting louder and louder with anger and frustration.

"I'm just," Gabriella took a deep breath and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm just…here."

Troy's eyes snapped up to meet hers and the angry demeanor instantly left his face.

"Shit, Gab. I'm sorry…" Troy shook his head, now frustrated with himself. "There's another thing I fucked up today."

"Troy," Gabriella said gently, and her husband looked at her with desperate eyes. "Come here…" she said, holding out her arms.

Troy immediately closed the distance between him and his wife and pulled her tightly to his chest. Gabriella's arms wrapped around Troy's waist and he held him close. She could sense the tension slowly leaving the basketball star as he finally began to melt in her arms.

Gabriella started rubbing Troy's back and reached up to press a kiss to the lower part of his jaw. She didn't care about the divorce or how she wasn't supposed to be showing him how much she loved him. She just wanted to make Troy feel better.

"God, Gabriella. Thank you. I really needed this," Troy whispered into her ear, pulling her a little tighter to him.

"I'm always here for you, Troy. No matter what happens between us," Gabriella looked up at her husband and pulled away from him slightly. "Now get back out there and tear it up. Your son is probably awake now and wants to see his daddy play ball."

Troy smiled and let out a laugh. He leaned down to kiss Gabriella's cheek. "Thanks, Gab."

Gabriella blushed as her husband ran out of the locker room. She brought her hand up to her cheek, touching the place where Troy's lips had just been.

In that moment, Gabriella finally gathered up the courage she needed to make a small, but significant change in her life. She had seen Troy angry, upset, vulnerable, and wounded because of all that had happened between them. It was affecting his job, his life, and those around him.

She wanted him to be happy. And in the long run after the divorce, Gabriella truly believed he would be. But for now, she needed to give him something to look forward to. Something to keep him going through this tough period. She needed to give him a reason to stick it out.

So tonight, she would tell Troy about the baby.

* * *

**So, not too sure about that chapter. Kind of slow, but it's needed. The next one's going to be a little more intense…**

…**and hopefully it will be up around Thanksgiving, but I'm not making any promises. **

**Just a few things I want to point out since it's taken me nearly three years (ha-ha – I **_**wish**_** I was kidding about that) to get to this point of the story:**

**As we are coming up on the end (5 or 6 more chapters, I haven't decided whether I want to split one up or not) you might want to go back and re-read the first chapter up until Gabriella's accident. Some of that information is going to help you understand little things in the upcoming chapters.**

**For example, how many of you noticed that the restaurant Michael and Gabriella went to was the same one that Troy was planning on taking Gabriella to for their anniversary? Kudos if you did. :)**

**As always, thanks for reading!**


	21. This Never Happened

**Hope everyone in America had a good Thanksgiving! I actually had this finished like a week ago but have been debating whether or not to post it. I revised it like three times. So, sorry for the delay.**

**We're coming up on the end of the story! We still have a few more chapters to go, but the story should be finished by mid-January! Yay! So close! **

**I'm kind of nervous about this chapter. I started writing it and it took an interesting direction that just seemed to work. I hope that it's all you guys were wishing for. Enjoy!**

**Oh, and uh, the M rating kind of comes into play here. FYI. :)**

**

* * *

**

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 20: This Never Happened**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

Gabriella stared blankly into the crackling fire, enjoying the warmth it provided her. The brunette was curled up with her favorite blanket and a cup of cocoa, listening to peaceful music. She was desperately trying to lose herself in the moment, attempting to calm herself down.

"You look comfortable…"

The sound of the deep soothing voice startled Gabriella, and she clutched her chest as she turned around to see Troy standing behind her, his hands in his pockets and his hair still damp from his post-game shower.

Gabriella smiled genuinely, and Troy echoed back a similar grin.

"Got your text. I let myself in," Troy shrugged, still smiling at the now grinning brunette.

Gabriella had texted Troy after the game, asking him to leave Caleb at his mom's for the night so that they could talk at the house.

"That's fine. Wanna join me?" Gabriella invited, lifting up the blanket on the couch.

For some reason Gabriella didn't even want to try to distance herself from Troy tonight. What she was going to discuss was too important. She and Troy were bonded together for a different reason now, and Gabriella wanted to forget about the divorce and their relationship for one night, and just share the news with her husband.

Troy's grin widened, though he looked surprised at her request. His demeanor was completely different from the one he had when she first walked into the locker room earlier that evening.

"Of course…" he muttered, blushing as he kicked off his shoes before crawling behind her on the sofa, slipping under the blanket.

By the time he settled in, Troy had his arms wrapped around Gabriella and his head rested on the same pillow as hers. Lying there with her was pure magic.

This spooning session was so out of the ordinary, but neither mentioned it. They were each just content to be together for once. It was so…relaxing.

"So…" Troy mumbled into Gabriella's hair after nearly ten minutes of silence had passed. "You wanted to talk?"

"Mmmmm…" Gabriella let out a sigh, causing Troy to chuckle.

"Too tired?" he questioned as Gabriella flipped her body so that she was facing her husband.

"No…just comfortable," Gabriella grinned.

Troy smiled shyly as Gabriella traced his jaw with her hand.

"I need to tell you some things…explain some stuff. So thanks for coming tonight," Gabriella whispered, her lips mere inches from Troy's face.

Troy nodded, his hand finding Gabriella's hip to gently caress the skin with small circles.

Gabriella briefly closed her eyes at Troy's touch, completely enjoying this intimate, quiet moment.

"Of course…" Troy muttered.

Gabriella took a deep breath, not wanting to ruin this perfect moment.

"Well…I'm - "

"I already know, Gabriella," Troy smiled softly, continuing to rub soothing circles on her hip.

Shock crossed Gabriella's face, "You do?" She asked in an incredulous tone.

Troy nodded, "Yeah, I know."

"Wow," Gabriella whispered, still unable to believe that Troy knew about the baby. "Can I ask…how?"

Troy looked at Gabriella with a curious expression. "Your mom told my mom. The usual…"

Gabriella propped herself up on her left elbow, suddenly overcome with anger.

"Are you serious? I told my mom not to tell! I can't believe she did that!" Gabriella said, shocked that her mom would do such a thing against her daughter's wishes.

"Hey, hey…" Troy whispered, gently rubbing Gabriella's arm. "Don't be mad at your mom. I'm sure she didn't mean to betray your trust. Besides, you were going to tell me anyway, so, it's not a big deal."

Gabriella looked utterly confused as Troy tried to comfort her. "Really? It's not that big of deal to you?"

"No, baby. You shouldn't have been worried about what I would think," Troy soothed.

"But, I guess…_I _feel like it's kind of a big deal. I mean, we're getting divorced and I'm - "

"Gab, even if your dinner with Michael _was_ a date, you shouldn't feel bad. We _are_ getting divorced, and if you see other people, I'm not going to stop you."

Gabriella's eyes widened. "What?"

It was Troy's turn now to look confused.

"My mom said you felt terrible for being at dinner with Michael, and that you didn't want me to get the wrong impression that it was a date rather than a work-related dinner," Troy explained, still caressing her hip. "It's okay. You don't have to feel guilty."

_Oh, God._ Gabriella thought. _He doesn't know about the baby_…

"Um…" Gabriella breathed in a large breath. "Thank you?"

"Of course, baby…" Troy nearly purred, pulling Gabriella close to give her a horizontal hug on the couch.

_Oh, God_. She loved the way "baby" rolled off his lips, and how his arms made her feel so protected.

_Wait, focus Gabriella._ How the hell was she going to tell him about the baby now?

"Troy, I also asked you to come here to tell you something else…"

Troy's blue eyes captured hers, his expression curious.

"Gabriella, you know you can tell me anything," he comforted.

Gabriella nodded against her husband's chest. "I know…" she said in a shaky tone.

Troy pulled back from Gabriella, studying her face. He let out a sigh.

"Gab, you look so nervous. Baby, you're shaking. What's wrong? You can tell me…" Troy suddenly laughed nervously. "You're making me worried, babe. What is it?"

Gabriella closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Troy's waist to pull herself closer to him. Troy willingly wrapped his arms around her.

Knowing this moment would change their relationship forever, Gabriella took the plunge.

The brunette buried her face in Troy's chest, and muttered the words that had been torturing her.

"I'm pregnant."

Time stood still for a second as Gabriella felt Troy stiffen. He gently pushed her away so that he could look at her face.

His expression was one of shock. He looked terrified.

"What did you say?" he asked slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

Gabriella closed her eyes and took another deep breath, mentally preparing herself for whatever Troy's reaction would be.

"I'm pregnant."

Gabriella opened her eyes to look up at Troy's still shocked expression. He began to move his mouth, as if trying to say something, but he couldn't get any words out.

"I'm so sorry, Troy," Gabriella mumbled, tears suddenly filling her eyes. "I know this complicates things - "

"Is it...mine?" Troy asked in a scared tone.

Gabriella nodded her head silently.

Troy stared at her for another long moment.

"Oh my God, you're pregnant…" he said, still looking as though someone told him he could never play basketball again.

"You're pregnant…" he repeated, before Gabriella saw his demeanor change like the flick of a switch, "Oh my God, you're pregnant!"

The smile that erupted on Troy's face took Gabriella aback, and she couldn't believe the elation that was now pouring out of Troy's expression.

The twenty-five year-old pulled his wife to him and hugged her tightly. "Gab…" he whispered into her ear, making her shiver at his breath. "We're having another baby…"

Gabriella knew the situation was fucked up. She was divorcing the man she loved, and she was pregnant with his unborn child. But at that moment, with the happiness radiating off of Troy, she couldn't help but be a little excited, too.

"I know…we're going to have a baby…" Gabriella grinned brightly up at her husband, and his smile widened as he saw her expression. Without any reservations, Troy's hand gently moved to her stomach and slipped under her shirt, resting on tiny, almost nonexistent bump.

"I just…how did this happen?" Troy asked incredulously.

"Um…" Gabriella muttered, suddenly blushing. "Remember when we had sex that one night Caleb was at Timmy's house?"

Troy's cheeks were overcome with a faint blush as he nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, I remember that."

Gabriella giggled, "Well, you didn't use a condom, so you knocked me up. That's what happened…"

Troy's face immediately became worried, "Oh shit! Gabriella, I'm so sorry! I didn't even _think_ to use protection. I assumed you were on the…pill,"

Gabriella could almost see the wheels turn in Troy's head as he put all of the pieces together.

"The birth control…black packet thing you dropped on the stairs the other day. You weren't taking those?" he asked gently, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"No. I didn't know I was taking it before the accident. But when I found out I was pregnant, I looked for some kind of birth control, and I found it in one of my bathroom drawers," Gabriella said quietly.

"Holy shit," Troy muttered, now looking at Gabriella's stomach. "How far along are you, then? That was back in like…December, right?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. I'm about two and a half months right now."

"That puts you in September for the due date?" Troy asked.

Gabriella was amazed at how calm Troy was acting about this. She couldn't believe he was so elated about the baby. To be honest, that made her _really_ happy.

"Yeah. The doctor said my date was September 21st. It seems so far away…" Gabriella mumbled, placing her hand on top of Troy's.

"It's goes by really fast, Gab. I'll be here to help you through it, too. Um…"

Troy suddenly looked uncomfortable as he avoided Gabriella's gaze.

"Does the baby…um…change things? With the divorce, I mean?" Troy asked carefully, his tone full of hope.

Gabriella had been afraid that he would bring up the divorce tonight. That was the last thing she needed to talk about. Especially since the thought of being alone without Troy made her sick.

"Can we talk about that later, Troy? I'm really not in the mood tonight…"

Troy nodded quickly, wiping the dejected look off his face before pressing his forehead close to Gabriella's.

"Do you want to find out the sex early or in September?" He asked excitedly.

Gabriella giggled, "Um…I was thinking early. But what do you think? I want to make sure everything is ready for the baby when it comes, and I feel like I would be a lot more prepared if I knew what its gender was."

"You were the same way with Caleb. We found out before he was born," Troy grinned. "God, Caleb is going to be _so_ excited. He's been wanting a little brother or sister practically since he was born."

Gabriella smiled, snuggling a little closer to Troy. "Mmmm, it's going to be a crazy few months, hunh?"

"I'm going to help you every step of the way. Whatever you need Gabriella, I'm here,"

"Thank you, Troy. Really. That means a lot," Gabriella mumbled, resting her head on Troy's chest and closing her eyes. "I think right now I need some sleep. Getting up the nerve to tell you has made me exhausted," Gabriella laughed.

Troy smiled, wrapping his arms protectively around his wife. "Of course. Do you want me to take you upstairs or do you want to stay here?"

"I don't mind staying here. Will you stay the night?" Gabriella asked boldly, snuggling deeper into her husband.

"I wouldn't dream of staying anywhere else…"

* * *

"Ow…fuck that hurts."

Troy stretched out his legs on the couch, feeling the tightness of his muscles that came with the cramped sleeping arrangements on the couch. The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, causing an uncomfortable brightness to sweep over Troy's face.

"Gab?" he called out questioningly, noticing that the brunette wasn't in his arms.

Last night had been…incredible, to say the least. Troy didn't think it was possible to be any more hopeful that his relationship with Gabriella would be saved than he was right now.

After kicking ass in the second half of the game the night before, Troy had returned to the locker room and discovered a text from Gabriella, asking if he could come over to the house for a while to talk. Troy was immediately excited and nervous, because he figured that Gabriella was going to tell him her reasons for filing for divorce. And he wanted a chance to properly apologize once again from being a total asshole to her at halftime.

What he did not expect was the find out she was pregnant…with _his _child.

Sure, it might have seemed silly that Troy wasn't sure about the paternity of the baby, but after Gabriella asked for a divorce he couldn't be a hundred percent sure that she hadn't slept with another guy.

That was something Troy _never_ _ever_ wanted to think about, especially after what happened their junior year in college.

But it _was_ his child, and Troy was so excited that he was going to be a dad for the second time. And what great timing, too! Surely Gabriella wouldn't want to go ahead with the divorce now that she was pregnant and Troy was the father…

But when he asked her about it the night before she had carefully avoided answering the question. Troy hated to think that they still might possibly be getting divorced, even with a baby on the way.

"In the kitchen, Troy," Gabriella called out softly.

Troy stood up and stretched his arms over his head. Yeah, last night was definitely amazing. Getting to spend the night with Gabriella was a huge bonus.

He loved the way they had slipped back into comfortable affection. It was so natural, and for those few precious moments last night, the accident never happened. Gabriella never lost her memory. They weren't separating…

"Good morning," Troy grinned, walking into the kitchen.

Gabriella looked up from the stove and smiled back. "Good morning. Did you sleep okay?"

Troy walked over to Gabriella and slipped his arms around her waist, "Wonderful. How's the baby?"

Gabriella giggled and put down the spatula in her right hand before turning around to face Troy. "The baby's fine, Troy. Same as yesterday."

"Do you need me to get you anything at the store?" Troy asked gently, dipping his head low to nuzzle Gabriella's neck.

Sure, Troy knew he was _not_ supposed to be doing this in any way. They were getting divorced, and Gabriella was the one who asked for it. But he couldn't help it, and he didn't care what the repercussions of his actions would be. Gabriella wasn't pushing him away, so he would keep being affectionate towards her. Besides, the two seemed to be in some sort of fairy tale bubble since the previous night – just excited parents anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new baby. Troy was terrified that leaving the house would bring back the sharp stick of reality.

Gabriella let out an almost inaudible moan and grinned brightly. "I'm okay," she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut at the sensations Troy was giving her.

"Do you like that?" Troy asked, his tone becoming husky as he nuzzled her neck once more before placing a gentle kiss on her exposed shoulder.

"Mmmm…" Gabriella couldn't form any words. This was _so_ wrong. So very, very wrong, and Gabriella couldn't force her body to stop it. It just felt _so_ good.

_Oh, shit. But she really needed to stop it._

"Um, Troy…" It took all of Gabriella's willpower to pull herself out of Troy's grasp and back away. As soon as she did, her gut tightened and she felt a desire more intense than she ever had in her life to get Troy into her bed.

Fuck this increased libido that came with pregnancy. Especially now that she was divorcing Troy.

Troy looked confused, and began to walk towards Gabriella with his hand out. "Gabi…?"

"No!" Gabriella exclaimed, holding on to the counter that separated her and Troy. Her breath was now extremely shaky as her desire suddenly skyrocketed through the roof. "Look, Troy. You really should go. You have to pick up Caleb in two hours and I have a lot to do…"

Gabriella turned around, desperately trying to get out of the room before she did something stupid.

Unfortunately, she felt Troy's strong hands wrap around her waist and pull her back into his chest.

"That's in two hours. Why are you so anxious? Am I making you uncomfortable?" Troy asked hesitantly, instantly releasing his hold on her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - "

_Shit. _She needed to get away from him _right now_ or she was going to explode.

Gabriella didn't even wait for Troy to finish his apology.

"Troy, really, I think I'm going to go take a shower…." Gabriella pleaded, unwrapping his hands from her waist and moving a few steps away, desperately trying to show him that she was serious.

"You already took a shower this morning. I saw the towels in the laundry room on my way to the kitchen," Troy looked at Gabriella with an intense, questioning look.

Oh God, his hair was messy from bed and his muscles were so clearly defined from his shirt. She wanted to run her hands up and down his chest so bad. And the confused expression on his face was so adorable…

Ugh! Fuck this increased sex drive. She was seriously going to embarrass herself if she stayed in the kitchen for another second.

"Well, I think I'm going to take another one…" Gabriella breathed, her chest now on the verge of heaving. Breathing was getting very difficult.

A flicker of intuition crossed Troy's face. He suddenly flashed her the sexiest crooked grin as he walked slowly towards her before taking her hips in his hands again.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no!_ _Get away!_

"Gabriella," He said in a low, husky tone.

_Shit. _That was going to put her over the edge.

"Yeah," Gabriella squeaked, refusing to look into her husband's azure eyes.

Troy leaned his head down close to Gabriella's ear. "You don't need to take another shower..." he whispered, the warm air from his breath causing Gabriella to suck in another lungful of air.

Troy pulled back and ducked his head even more to finally catch Gabriella's tortured gaze.

"Do you want me to take care of that for you?" he whispered, still keeping eye contact with his wife.

_Oh, God. He knew. He knew how badly she wanted him. _

Gabriella still tried to get a hold of herself. "Um…Troy, I can't…we're - "

"Gabriella…" Troy muttered, pressing a kiss to her neck, effectively making her squirm. "Don't think about anything…"

"Troy, I…" Gabriella gasped, causing him to make eye contact with her once again. She was now on the verge of tears she needed him so bad. "Alright, but what happens this morning doesn't mean anything, okay?"

Troy's eyes darkened. How could it not mean something that she wanted to sleep with him? That had to mean she was at least attracted to him. But he knew better than to argue with her right now.

"Okay."

"Okay," Gabriella nodded. "Okay…."

Troy continued to look at Gabriella with his smoldering gaze, waiting for her to say something more.

Waiting for Gabriella to crack.

"Oh, God, Troy just…please, just please!" Gabriella cried, and Troy immediately swept her off her feet and ran upstairs toward their bedroom, not believing his luck.

Troy set her on the bed gently, ripping off his shirt as Gabriella did the same with hers. Troy immediately pressed his lips to Gabriella's in a lengthy, sensual kiss – something he had wanted to do for a _long _time.

"Troy, _please_," Gabriella begged. "I need you so bad, please."

"Okay, baby. Okay, come here…" Troy encouraged as Gabriella frantically pushed his pants down his legs.

"Is this…is this okay? Is it safe for the baby?" Gabriella asked, her expression of pure need turning into one of worry.

Troy kissed her hurriedly on the lips. "Yeah, it's safe. Trust me babe, I've been through this before…"

Troy's smile brought a satisfied grin to Gabriella's face, and she let her husband help fulfill her intense need, enjoying the high her orgasm brought her.

"Fuck, that was incredible…" Troy mumbled as he fell back against the pillow next to Gabriella, breathing heavily.

Gabriella nodded. "It was perfect…" she agreed before turning on her side to face Troy. "Thank you. Thank you so much…" she said, kissing his chest.

Troy looked at Gabriella curiously, wondering why she seemed so gracious that he slept with her.

"Baby, there's no need to thank me. Believe me, I thoroughly enjoyed helping you out. Besides, I told you that I'm here for you. Every step of the way. Whatever you need, even this," Troy grinned. "Especially this…"

Gabriella giggled as Troy arms wrapped tightly around her to pull her closer. He pressed a soft, slow kiss to her lips.

"I'll keep that in mind…"

Gabriella snuggled into Troy's chest, trying to push back the growing feeling that this was utterly wrong. She had just slept with her soon to be ex-husband, and now she was making herself extremely comfortable on his chest. She was even flirting with him as though nothing was out of the ordinary – as though they were never even planning on getting divorce.

Gabriella pushed herself up on her right elbow to get a better view of Troy's face. She needed to stop this.

Troy must have seen her conflicted look because he immediately pulled her back to his chest.

"Please, Gabriella," his voice had a desperate tone to it. "Please don't say anything right now. Can we just…lay here? Just for a little while?"

Gabriella felt moisture flood her eyes at Troy's pleading, and she simply nodded. "Okay."

She felt Troy press a loving kiss to her temple before she drifted off into a soothing sleep.

* * *

Troy woke up to the rustling of the bed sheets next to him. "Gab, babe, where are you going?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"Troy, it's three in the afternoon. One of us has to pick up Caleb from your mom. We were supposed to get him two hours ago…" Gabriella whispered, slipping on her jeans.

Troy sat up in bed, blinking his eyes a few times to adjust to the afternoon light. "That's okay, Gab. I'll pick him up. You stay here."

Troy lifted himself out of the king-sized bed and Gabriella quickly turned her head away to prevent herself from staring at Troy's perfect body as he got dressed.

"Are you sure?" Gabriella asked, still whispering.

Troy smiled, walking over to give Gabriella a quick peck on the lips. "Yeah. I'm sure."

"Okay," Gabriella agreed, leaning up to receive another sweet kiss from Troy.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Gabriella smiled, rubbing her hand up and down Troy's bicep.

"Can I… tell my parents about the baby?" Troy looked really nervous to ask Gabriella the question.

"Troy, of course you can. It's your baby, too," Gabriella lifted up onto her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to Troy's chin before starting to make the bed.

Troy laughed nervously. "Ok. Can I ask you something else?"

Gabriella stopped pulling up the sheets and turned around to look at her husband. "Of course, Troy. What's up?"

Troy took a deep breath, and Gabriella noticed how nervous he looked at that moment. She couldn't help but think he looked absolutely adorable. He had an obvious bed head and his blue eyes were slightly cloudy.

"Um…with you being pregnant, I thought it might be a good idea if…um…you weren't, I guess, alone here. You know, just in case anything happens?"

Gabriella smiled softly at his concern for her wellbeing. "I think I'll be okay, Troy."

"No, I really think you should have someone here," Troy pressed, his eyes pleading with Gabriella.

The brunette sighed, running a hand through her curly hair. Her temper flared slightly.

"Who do you suggest that person is, Troy? My mom? She has to go back to Arizona eventually. I can't ask Taylor or your mom or - "

"Gabriella I was talking about…um…myself. Me. I would…uh…move back in to take care of you."

Gabriella's jaw dropped as her husband fidgeted with his hands, nervous for her response.

"I would stay in the guest bedroom, Gab. Nothing has to change…unless you want it to. I would just…be here if you needed something – like food or help with anything, or in an emergency I would be able to take you to the hospital. I would just…it would just make me feel a lot more comfortable. And I would leave once the divorce was finalized. I promise."

Gabriella stared at her husband, watching as he tried to avoid her gaze. He was the sexiest thing she had ever seen, and she loved how he had this vulnerable side that sometimes came out around her.

She swiftly walked over to him and pulled his head down for a steamy kiss. While they were in this sort of limbo she might as well take advantage of it. Troy grabbed her hips and pulled her close to him, deepening it immediately.

"Okay," she said, pulling back. "I think that's a good idea."

"Really?" Troy asked, shocked.

"Sure, why not?" Gabriella shrugged, and then giggled as she was assaulted with Troy's kisses all over her face before he pressed his lips firmly to hers.

"Thank you," Troy mumbled, giving Gabriella another quick kiss.

Gabriella followed Troy downstairs after he gathered all of his things. Before Troy opened the door, he turned around and looked at Gabriella sadly.

"So…once I walk out this door…?"

Gabriella sighed, "This last night and this morning never happened."

Troy nodded, a depressed look coming over his face. Gabriella let out another sigh and grabbed his hand.

"Troy…we agreed…"

"I know," Troy said, looking at the ground before glancing at Gabriella. "One more kiss?"

Gabriella smiled shyly, "Of course…"

Troy grinned, but Gabriella could tell it wasn't a sincere grin of happiness. She knew Troy was disappointed that this morning wasn't going to change anything, and to be honest, Gabriella was very tempted to say that it did. She loved the time she spent with Troy, but she had to keep her eyes on the bigger picture – his happiness in the future.

Troy grabbed Gabriella's waist and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. His frustration and desire to be with her were poured into the kiss, and Gabriella quickly found herself breathless.

"Troy," Gabriella breathed, "Caleb."

The basketball star backed off slightly, grabbing Gabriella's hand and giving it one last squeeze.

"Bye, Gab," he whispered, avoiding her gaze, and walked out the door.

* * *

"Well I don't know what the hell to wear to this kind of thing! I've never been!"

Gabriella complained as she threw another piece of clothing out of her closet and onto her bed.

"Um, actually, honey - "

"You know what I mean, Taylor. I don't remember…"

Gabriella sank down onto the bed that she had hours before shared with Troy in the most wonderful morning she had had in a long time.

Immediately after Troy had left that morning, Gabriella felt guilt wash over her. She couldn't believe she had been so selfish as to use Troy to make her feel good. She should've considered his feelings and how much she would be hurting him. It made Gabriella sick to think that even though she was trying to make him happy with the divorce, she was pulling teenage crap and giving in to her sexual urges, forgetting about anyone else's feelings but her own.

"It's just a party that Coach Cohen holds around this time every year. There won't be a ton of people, just all of the staff and players, and their wives. Don't worry, it's nothing super formal," Taylor said, flipping through a magazine.

"Well…I don't understand why I'm invited. Troy and I are getting divorced."

"Gabriella, you are still married, and Troy obviously doesn't want to take his mom as his date. Come on, you guys are still friends, right? If anything, I want you to be there, because I need someone to talk to besides Chad," Taylor giggled, causing Gabriella to grin.

Minutes after Troy had left the house that afternoon, he called Gabriella and asked if she would accompany him to a party Coach Cohen was holding. Gabriella felt that it was slightly inappropriate, especially considering that they were getting divorced. But she was even more upset that Troy only gave her five hours notice.

"Alright, if you say so…"

"Well, Gabriella…" Taylor shut her magazine and threw it to the side. "How's pregnancy going?"

Gabriella shot Taylor a weird look. "It's fine. I try not to think about it too much, or else it will start to creep me out. I mean, there's a living thing growing inside of me. _So_ creepy, but kind of incredible at the same time…"

"When are you due?" Taylor asked curiously.

"September 21st. Not for a while," Gabriella shot her friend a grin as she continued to raid her closet, looking for an appropriate outfit.

"Oh, good. I'm due at the beginning of November so we're right around the same time."

"Oh, cool. Tay, would this be approp –"

Gabriella whipped around to face her smiling friend.

"Oh…my God. Taylor, what did you just say?"

Taylor giggled, placing a hand on her stomach.

"I'm pregnant, too!"

"Oh my God, Tay! That's wonderful! Our kids are going to grow up together!" Gabriella screeched, and the two women hugged each other tightly.

"Does Chad know?" Gabriella asked, unable to get rid of the huge smile on her face.

"I told him a couple of days ago after I found out. The look on his face was priceless, Gabriella. He really is the perfect husband. He's been doting on me every second of every day," Taylor shared.

Gabriella sat down on the edge of her bed. "Aww… that's so cute! I'm _so_ happy for you guys!"

"Thanks, Gabriella. Chad and I just hope that you and Troy can work things out and be happy, too," Taylor said quietly, studying her best friend.

"Tay…" Gabriella said reproachfully.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, but Chad and I both think you guys could be really happy together if you gave each other a second chance. Just think about it tonight, okay? Will you do that?"

Gabriella sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, but no promises."

Taylor laughed. "That's good enough for me. Come on, let's go do your hair!"

* * *

"Is this completely boring for you?"

Gabriella shook her head, her curls bouncing playfully.

"No. I'm just a little tired," Gabriella shrugged, taking another step away from her husband to avoid his hand resting on her waist.

"Gabriella?" he asked, confused at her actions.

"Troy! Gabriella! Good to see you guys here. Can I offer either of you a glass of wine?" Coach Cohen slapped his starting guard on the back, interrupting an awkward moment between the couple.

Troy smiled, shaking his coach's hand before looking at Gabriella. "Yeah, I'll have a glass."

"Me too. Thanks so much for offering," Gabriella added, keeping tabs on staying at least 2 feet away from Troy.

Troy's expression became one of shock.

"What? No, Gab you can't!" Troy whispered into her ear.

Gabriella's eyes widened. She had completely forgot about the no alcohol part of being pregnant.

"Oh! Just kidding. I'll have a water, please," Gabriella backtracked.

Coach Cohen gave her a curious look before nodding and walking away to get their drinks.

Troy let out a huge sigh and ran his hand through his hair.

"Jesus, Gab. You're pregnant. You can't have alcohol."

"Troy, I'm sorry. I forgot for a second. I'm just a little distracted," Gabriella apologized, swearing at herself for becoming preoccupied with trying to create as much space between her and Troy as possible.

The event at Coach Cohen's home was an intimate gathering, just as Taylor had claimed. It was actually very nice, and could've have been wonderful had she remembered half of the players' wives that came up to her.

Troy had showed up at her doorstep with a single rose, grinning brightly. He obviously still wanted to act as though that morning _did_ happen, but Gabriella was trying so hard not to lead him on any more. It took all of her willpower to keep engaging herself in conversations with other people so that she could avoid being alone with Troy.

"Gabriella! I feel like I've barely seen you tonight!" Taylor exclaimed, dressed in a forest green strapless dress hugged Gabriella tightly.

Chad gave Troy a quick man hug before launching into conversation with him. As Gabriella had learned on the car ride over to Cohen's house, Troy already knew Taylor was pregnant. Chad had told him a couple days before.

"So…you look absolutely amazing, as always!" Taylor complimented with a sly smile before whispering to Gabriella, "And Troy hasn't been able to keep his eyes off you all night."

Gabriella's heart fluttered as she peeked out of the corner of her eye to see Troy staring at her discreetly. Once he noticed she was looking back at him, he shot her a quick, shy smile before turning back to Chad.

"That doesn't matter Taylor. We're getting divorced, and you know why…" Gabriella sighed, graciously thanking Coach Cohen as he presented her with a cup of water.

Taylor shook her head in disappointment. "This is just like your junior year break-up, Gabriella. Miscommunication. Just talk to him, okay? He doesn't bite," Taylor placed her hand on Gabriella's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before grabbing Chad's hand and leading him away from the couple.

Troy flashed Gabriella a quick smile and moved closer toward her. Gabriella immediately tensed.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight. It means a lot," Troy tried to catch Gabriella's gaze, but she seemed to have a faraway look in her eyes.

"What happened junior year of college? Taylor said something about how we broke up…"

Troy tensed and turned his head away from Gabriella. "Yeah, we broke up for about a two months…"

Gabriella's brow furrowed, wondering why Troy wasn't giving her more details. "What happened? Why did we break up?"

"Um…" Troy sighed, "You really want to know?"

"Of course," Gabriella responded, pulling Troy over to the corner of the room where it was quieter. She completely forgot about her attempt to avoid Troy tonight. Her desire for some kind of information on her past was too tempting.

"Well, basically, a bra belonging to a cheerleader was found in my hotel room when we were on the road for an away game. Word got back to you, and you broke up with me because you thought I cheated on you. You didn't believe me when I told you I didn't cheat - "

"But did you really? Cheat, I mean?"

"No, Gabriella! Of course I wouldn't do that to you. But anyway, we eventually got back together after about two months. That's the story," Troy shrugged.

"Everyone seems to bring it up all the time, I just didn't understand why…" Gabriella explained.

Troy sighed, "Well, I guess there's a little more to the story. I mean, it was the first time we _really_ got into an argument…"

"_Gabriella if you would just listen to me for one second-"_

"_Troy, I really don't want to hear or listen to anything you say right now, okay?" Gabriella snapped with tears streaming down her face, she attempted to push Troy out the door but he held his ground, and her hands were pressed uselessly against his chest._

"_PLEASE! Let me explain! I know it looks bad but nothing happened! I was set up or something…"_

"_Or something? Wow, Troy," Gabriella sighed, momentarily letting her guard down as Troy wiped the tears off her face._

"_Don't do this, okay? I love you…"_

"_Troy, if you really loved me this wouldn't have happened…"_

"_IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!" Troy bellowed, grabbing Gabriella's hands to make his point. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion…"_

_Gabriella shook her head, more tears falling from her face. There was too much evidence. He was obviously lying. Something had happened and she couldn't just let it go._

"_I loved you, Troy…" she muttered, looking at the ground. Troy bent his head down to her level to hear her better. "But I can't trust you anymore."_

_Troy looked shocked and broken. His mouth hung open slightly as he digested what the brunette in front of him was saying._

"_So that's it? We're done?" Troy swallowed a lump in his throat._

"_I'm sorry, Troy. I really wish this could've worked out. I still care about you and wish you all the best, but I can't be in a relationship with someone I don't trust…" Gabriella turned away from the man in front of her._

"_But, Gabriella. I didn't do anything with-"_

"_Please leave, Troy. I want to be alone right now."_

"_Fine, Gabriella. For the record, I'm telling the truth. Maybe it's better that we break up. I don't want to be with someone who can't trust me…" Troy said in a frustrated tone, leaving Gabriella speechless, with a fresh batch of tears pouring from her eyes._

"Oh my gosh, Troy! I remember that…" Gabriella said, astonished that his recount of the incident matched the flashback she had when she accepted a California call on the telephone.

"You do?" Troy asked excitedly. "You remember that?"

"Yeah, but not really much else. What happened after that? Maybe if you tell me it will jog my memory…"

"Well…" Troy began. "It was a long two months…"

"_Gabriella? What are you doing here?" Troy asked curiously._

_It had been about a week since the two broke up, and Troy slumped into a depression. He felt completely useless and started skipping class because he couldn't find the desire to go._

_And now his ex-girlfriend was standing in his dorm room doorway with a brown box in her hands, and he looked exactly like he felt – a complete and total mess._

"_Um… I just wanted to drop off your stuff that I still had," Gabriella muttered quietly._

"_Oh…" Troy said, recognizing a few of the items in the box: both his East High and Berkeley jerseys, a stuffed animal he bought her senior year, and a video of the first musical play they did together._

"_Um, well…here," Gabriella shifted the box in her arms and held it out for Troy to take. "I think it's got everything, but if I forgot something let me know."_

_Troy took the box from Gabriella and set it on the floor next to him before opening the door wider. "I think I have some of your stuff in here, too. Why don't you come in for a second?"_

_Gabriella hesitantly stepped into Troy's dorm room, trying to forget all of the memories they shared in it. She crossed the room and sat down on the black futon, refusing to look at her ex-boyfriend._

_Troy started packaging things up for Gabriella. He put in a necklace Gabriella had given him, a Stanford spirit shirt she bought for his birthday freshman year, a stuffed bear she entrusted to him to keep safe, and banners she had made to show her support for him during his basketball games. _

"_Well, I think that's it," Troy murmured, picking up the box and holding it. "I can walk this to your car," he offered._

_Gabriella shook her head. "That's not necessary, Troy. I can handle it. Thanks for the stuff…"_

_Troy nodded, watching her walk out of the room. _

_Suddenly, Troy felt the urge to try, just one more time, to fix their relationship._

"_Gabriella!" he yelled, running down the hallway to catch up with her._

_Gabriella stopped walking and turned around, surprised at the fact that Troy was running after her._

"_I didn't cheat on you, Gab. You have to know that I would never do that to you…" Troy said sincerely, looking deeply into her eyes._

"_I know…" Gabriella admitted, looking at the ground._

"_You know? You believe me? Then…why did you break up with me?" Troy stuttered, thoroughly confused._

"_I didn't believe you at the time, Troy. But now I feel like maybe this was a good thing for us. I mean we'd been dating since junior year of high school. That's four years. Maybe we need this time apart. You know, to explore other options and stuff…" Gabriella explained._

"_What? Other options? Gabriella I told you four years ago and I will tell you again: I don't want other options. I love you. I'm always going to love _you_ and no one else," Troy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "But I'll wait for you to experience all of your other options so that you can choose the right one. I'll always be here, Gabriella," _

_Troy shook his head, walking back to his dorm room, leaving the brunette speechless._

_That was a total fail._

"Wow, I was kind of a bitch, huh?" Gabriella asked, taking a sip of her water.

"Nah, you just needed time to figure out what you really wanted. I was your first serious boyfriend, and I think the whole thing with me potentially cheating on you gave you an opportunity to figure out what you really wanted in a guy. You weren't a bitch at all, Gab," Troy disagreed, waving to one of his teammates trying to get his attention across the room.

"Well, I remembered something else, too," Gabriella admitted.

Troy's eyebrows rose slightly, "What's that?"

"_Um, I know we're not together anymore but I got something for your birthday and I wanted to give it to…" Troy finally looked up from the floor, his eyes widening as he gazed upon the sight before him._

_Gabriella, in her lingerie, with a guy on top of her. A guy that wasn't him._

"_TROY!" Gabriella screeched, pulling the blanket over her and the mystery guy._

_Raw pain flashed across Troy's face. He did nothing to hide how much the scene in front of him hurt._

_Quickly regaining his ability to think, Troy stuttered out an apology._

"_Uh…um…I'm really sorry…I just…" the basketball star practically ran out of the room, tears blurring his vision._

_Gabriella shoved out of bed, putting on a bathrobe and chased him down the dorm hall._

"_Troy! Please wait up!" She stopped him just before he reached the elevator._

"_It's okay, Gabriella. I'm sorry. I should've waited after I knocked instead of just coming in."_

"_No, Troy…"_

"_We're not…together anymore, Gabi. It's okay if you…sleep with…other guys. That's none of my business anymore. I just wanted to give you a birthday present. Happy birthday," Troy said quietly, blinking away the tears. He maintained a strong face for Gabriella, but she could see how much he was hurting deep down._

"_Troy, I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to-"_

"_Like I said, it's okay. I want you to be happy. I want you to find some nerdy boy that you can talk physics with and who will understand you. I want you to find a guy that treats you like a queen, Gabi. I want all the best for you, and if that guy's gonna give it to you, go for it."_

"_Troy, it's not like that," Gabriella said forcefully, trying to get Troy to understand._

"_It's okay, Gab. You don't have to explain." The young man wiped away the tears that were leaking from his eyes. "Happy birthday. Goodbye."_

"Jesus…" Troy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I remember that like it was yesterday. Probably the worst day of my life."

"Troy, I'm so sorry," Gabriella murmured, resting a hand on his bicep.

"Yeah, I know. You've told me. I just hate even thinking about it. You being with another guy like that…"

"Well, how did we end up getting back together then? " Gabriella asked.

"Actually, that part is kind of interesting…"

"_Hello? Gabriella?"_

"_TROY! Oh thank God, you answered! Look, I know we're not really together anymore but I…um…I got into a car accident and my car is absolutely totaled. Is there anyway you can give me a ride back to Stanford? I know it's a lot to ask but my roommate went home for the weekend and - "_

"_Where are you?"_

"_I'm in Fremont. If you can't get me that's fine, I just thought I'd – "_

"_I'm on my way, Gab. Are you alright?"_

"_Yeah, I'm fine. I can't say the same for my car, but I'm fine."_

"_Good. I'll be there in thirty minutes."_

_It took Troy only twenty-five minutes to reach Gabriella, and she had never in her life been so happy to see him. Seeing his white truck pull up, Gabriella grabbed her purse and hopped in the passenger side. Seconds after shutting the door, she was enveloped in the biggest hug she had ever received. _

"_Thank God you're okay. Jesus, Gab. What the hell happened that your car got totaled?" Troy asked, releasing her from his tight hug._

_Gabriella didn't want to tell Troy the truth: that she had been daydreaming about Troy and wasn't paying attention to the road. _

"_Some woman took her eyes off the road and ran head on into my car. I don't really want to talk about it…" Gabriella said. "Thanks for picking me up. It means a lot."_

"_Of course, Gabriella. I'm always here for you," Troy said, taking a left turn. He didn't even expect anything suspicious about her answer. Troy completely trusted Gabriella. _

_Gabriella sat quietly for a moment. "You're right, you're always there for me. Even when I've hurt you…"_

_Troy shot a confused glance at her. "No, Gab. Don't blame yourself –"_

"_Troy, pull over," Gabriella ordered._

"_What?"_

"_Pull over…"_

_Troy obediently pulled the car over on the side of the road, slowly putting it into park and turning off the ignition. _

"_What's up, Gabriella?"_

"_I love you, Troy. I've been so horrible to you, but the truth is I love you. Screw the options…you're the only one I want. And I'm sorry for everything I've put your through trying to figure it out. But I do love you, and I hope you can forgive me…" Gabriella said, looking out the window during her speech. _

"_What about your…boyfriend?" _

_Gabriella turned away from the window to look at Troy._

"_I think he's the biggest mistake of my life. No one can compare to you."_

_Troy smiled the first genuine smile since before the couple broke-up, and tugged on Gabriella's hand to get her attention. _

"_Of course I forgive you, baby," he said, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "I love you, too."_

_With that, Troy pulled Gabriella in for a passionate and long-awaited kiss, effectively convincing her to stay the night at Berkeley and return to Stanford the next day. _

"A car accident? Wow."

"Yeah. Our little make-out session in my truck was pretty hot though. That's definitely a good memory," Troy grinned. "And the make-up sex was fucking incredible."

Gabriella giggled, giving way to a genuine smile.

The night passed by quickly, and soon Gabriella found herself getting out of the passenger seat of Troy's car and standing on their doorstep.

"So…when do you think I can move back in?" Troy asked cautiously.

"Next week?" Gabriella suggested, not really ready for Troy to be around her 24/7 just yet.

"Alright. I'll get everything situated with the apartment lease by then. Well, have a good night. Thanks again for coming," Troy said before dipping his head in an attempt to kiss Gabriella goodnight.

"Troy," Gabriella said, backing away from his attempt.

Troy stared back at Gabriella innocently. But quickly his innocent expression gave way to frustration and anger.

_Oh, shit. This wasn't going to be good_.

"Gabriella, I don't understand. You're attracted to me, yes?" Troy questioned her.

Gabriella fiddled with her clutch, "Troy, I really don't think now is the time to talk about - "

"Then when is, Gabriella? When the hell are you going to tell me what I did to cause you to file for divorce?" Troy raised his voice, his anger seeping through.

"Troy, you should probably go get Caleb from your mom's now…" Gabriella attempted to change the subject.

"Gabriella…" Troy took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I am not leaving until you tell me _why_ you filed for divorce. I want the truth, and I want it tonight…"

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**So…yeah. Hopefully you guys liked that chapter. A lot of intense emotions are being experienced, but the next chapter is where they're really going to let them go. **

**Thanks so much for reading! Next update in about 3 weeks. **


	22. Show Me

**Don't hate me. I'm a perfectionist and this chapter was being very difficult. I won't waste your time with a long author's note – here's the next chapter of TRNT! It's a beast, so hopefully that makes up for the wait!**

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**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 22: Show Me**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

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"Troy, look. It's late. Someone needs to pick up Caleb from your mom's. We can talk about this tomorrow…" Gabriella pleaded.

Troy quickly reached into his suit jacket and pulled out his cell phone, hitting a number before holding it to his ear.

"Hey, Mom… Yeah, I know I said I would pick Caleb up tonight, but is there anyway you can drop him off at Gabriella's…perfect. Thanks so much."

Troy hung up the phone and put it back into his jacket pocket before looking at Gabriella with a challenging look.

"There. The Caleb problem is solved. Now tell me what the fuck is up."

Gabriella sighed, turning around and unlocking the front door without a word. She held it open for Troy as he walked into the house, quickly taking off his suit jacket and hanging it up on the coat rack.

Gabriella shut the door and kept her gaze on the ground as she stood in the foyer, playing with her keys.

"Gabi…" Troy said in a much calmer voice, leaning down so that his face was closer to Gabriella's level. He placed a finger under her chin to lift her gaze to meet his.

"Please help me. I'm so…confused. Just…completely confused. One minute we're working on our friendship, and the next we're back together and it's amazing. But then, not even a week later I get divorce papers – just out of the blue. And I have no idea what the hell I did or what happened to ruin our relationship. And then you're still affectionate and I feel like I still have a chance to reconcile what we had, especially after you tell me you're pregnant with my child and then you…we _make love_. And it's fucking amazing, and that gets my hopes up so high, but then they're crushed when you tell me it doesn't mean anything. I don't understand, Gabriella. I've been trying to figure it out for months. Every single day I search my brain, trying to figure out what the hell I did to make you…just…please, Gab. _Please_ help me out here. I'm so confused and it's fucking with my life. I can't wake up or go to bed without thinking about what went wrong. No matter what I'm doing, the thoughts are always in the back of my head. I need to know, Gab. _Please_, at least have the decency to give me a reason that I can deal with. _Please_…"

Troy walked away from Gabriella and sat down on the first step of the stairs, placing his head in his hands.

"I know I don't deserve you, Gab. I know that. You're beautiful, sexy, strong, smart, talented, and you're the best fucking mother any guy could want for their child. I'll understand if you would be happier with some other guy. I'll deal with it if Michael's the one that will make you happy. Because that's all I want, Gab. I want you to be happy. And if you are happy with me, that's great. But if not, I won't hold you back. You don't have to hide you're reasons for filing from me, Gabriella. We're both adults here and we need to be honest with each other."

Troy swallowed before looking up at Gabriella. Her gaze had returned to the floor.

"I guess I'll start," Troy sighed. "I don't want to get a divorce. I'm still _so_ in love with you. You…you made me the happiest man on Earth when you said you would marry me, and even happier when you gave me Caleb. I feel so strong, so…me, when I'm with you. You're just…perfect, and I'm so damn lucky that I was able to catch your attention, and for a while, capture your heart. But Gab, it's more than that. If we get divorced, I'm not only losing my wife, and the mother of my children, but I'm losing my best friend. You're everything to me. I don't want to divorce you, Gab. I love you too much…"

Gabriella quickly put a hand up to her mouth, trying to hold back her tears.

"This is me, Gabriella. I'm stripped bare, completely vulnerable here. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy, because I love you. Like I said before, if that means letting you go, I'll do it. Even if I have to watch you run away from me and into the arms of another guy. No matter how much it's going to hurt, I'm not going to keep you here if you don't feel the same way about me…"

"Troy," Gabriella choked out, turning around so that he wouldn't see the tears streaming down her face. "I didn't file for divorce because of another guy. I've told you there's nothing going on between me and Michael…"

Troy stood up and walked over to stand behind the petite brunette.

"Then why did you file for divorce, Gabriella?"

After she was silent for a moment, Troy let out a frustrated sigh, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Why can't you tell me the reason - "

"I filed because I want you to be happy!"

Troy let Gabriella's words hang between them for a moment, his expression one of disbelief. Gabriella turned around and stared at him silently, crossing her arms defensively across her chest.

"What?" Troy laughed sarcastically, unable to believe what Gabriella had just said. "You really think getting a divorce is going to make me happy? Are you serious? How would that make me happy? I love you more than anything!"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand…" Gabriella sighed, running her hands through her hair.

"Well then explain it to me! Make me understand, Gabi. _Please…_" Troy begged.

"In the long run, Troy, it will make you happy. No, listen-" Gabriella put her hand up as Troy was about to say something, "I got into a fucking car accident, Troy! I lost my God damn memory, Troy! I don't remember who the hell you are, Troy, or that we were even together! And guess what? I'm _never_ going to remember! It's never going to be the same as it used to be between us. I can't do anything about that, Troy! It's never going to happen. I will _never _remember you-"

"That's not true, Gab. The doctor said there was still a chance. And besides, you've remembered bits and pieces already-"

"That's all I'm ever going to remember! Bits and pieces! Here's my point, Troy. Look how upset you're getting over the fact that I'm _never_ going to remember our past! Five years down the road when I _still_ don't remember anything, you're going to be wishing that you moved on while you still had a chance! You deserve to start a new life with a new woman and make new memories that you both will remember and be able to look back on. Seeing you with Beth in Chicago made me realize that. Our relationship is _never_ going to be the same, Troy! I'm _never_ going to remember!"

Gabriella took a deep, shaky breath before she continued, ignoring the crestfallen look on her husbands face.

"But-"

"I'm divorcing you, Troy, because I know you won't divorce me. I know you would never do that, even if you wanted to. Because you loved me. You loved the Gabriella you knew before the accident. And you've convinced yourself that you love me too because I look the same and some of my mannerisms are the same, but the fact is, Troy, I'm _not the same person as I was before the accident_! Your Gabriella _died_ in that accident, and she's not coming back! It's not fair for me to expect you to love me like you did her, or treat me the same way! I can't ask that of you. So I'm divorcing you to give you a chance to start over! Why can't you see that?"

Gabriella sobbed, slumping onto the floor and burying her face in her hands. Troy looked shocked, trying to gather some kind of response.

"You're making this _so_ hard, Troy. Because… I've fallen in love with you. I _love _you, and I hate the fact that I will never be good for you. And now I'm pregnant with your child, which makes it even harder to give you up. I don't think I'll ever be able to move on! So really, Troy, I'm not doing this for myself, I'm doing this for _you!_ Please stop trying to prevent it and just let me be a good person for once!"

Gabriella couldn't control the sobs that came out of her as she pressed her face harder into her hands to try and muffle the sounds. She couldn't even think about anything to do with the future, or she was sure she might never resurface.

"You're in love with me?" Troy asked in a shocked voice.

Gabriella looked up to see her husband's shocked expression, which quickly turned into elation. He closed the distance between them and knelt down next to her.

"You love me, Gabriella?"

The brunette nodded slowly, more tears trickling down her cheeks. "I do. How can I not, Troy. You're perfect. How could any girl not love you?"

Troy looked confused for a moment before he sat down next to Gabriella and pulled her into his arms.

"Then why are you doing this, baby? You know I love you more than anything, and you love me too. We can be happy, Gabriella. Together with our children…"

Troy buried his head in the crook of Gabriella's neck, whispering his love for her.

But Gabriella couldn't give in to Troy's hypnotizing touch. She had to do what was best for him.

"We can't, Troy. I'm sorry. We just can't. I won't allow myself to hurt you," Gabriella shook her head, placing it back in her hands.

Troy stiffened around her, and suddenly removed her from his lap and stood up.

The brunette heard her husband's footsteps as he walked out of the foyer, getting softer and softer as he trudged away from her. Gabriella's sobs grew even more. She actually did it. She actually was able to convince Troy to go along with the divorce…

…and now the pain hit her tenfold.

"Gabriella…"

The brunette looked up to see her husband looking at a photo album in his hands, wiping the tears off his face as the rolled down his cheeks. He shut the album and looked up at her, studying her for a few seconds before chucking the album across the foyer and into the living room fireplace.

"TROY! What are you doing?" Gabriella sprang off the floor and rushed over to the fireplace to retrieve the photo album.

"I don't need memories, Gabriella," Troy said, more tears rolling down his cheeks., though he wiped them away defensively. "I don't need you to remember our past. My life is _nothing_ without you. Can't you see that?"

Gabriella stared at the burning pictures in the fire, spotting one of her and Troy before a dance.

"Do you have duplicates of those?" She asked quietly, watching as fresh tears spilled out of Troy's eyes.

"No," he shook his head.

Gabriella's stomach clenched painfully as she walked over to stand in front of Troy.

"Keep your memories of her, Troy. I'm sure she was a wonderful person, and she obviously made you very happy. Don't forget about her, okay? I'm sorry for your loss…" Gabriella choked out before walking past her husband, picking her car keys up off the floor.

"NO!" Troy roared, running in front of her to stop her from walking. "I didn't lose her! _You're_ her! Why do you keep saying all this stuff about how you're not Gabriella? You lost you're fucking memory, Gab. That doesn't mean you're dead!"

"I might as well be, Troy! I'm not the same as I was before the accident. You know that. Please, just accept this. You're making this harder on both of us!" Gabriella cried, tears spilling out of her eyes.

"No! I can't accept this, Gabriella," Troy lamented in a low tone, his voice full of passion as he pulled the struggling woman tightly into his arms. "I love you. And you love me, too. Isn't that enough reason to try and work this out? I know our situation is beyond fucked up, but we can do this. I know we can. We just have to put in the effort. Spending more time together, counseling, whatever. I'll do anything…"

"Sometimes love isn't a good enough reason, Troy! We have to think of the future. I'm trying to do the right thing for you here!" Gabriella exclaimed.

Troy pulled at his hair, trying to catch his breath as Gabriella walked away from him. "In five years, Gabriella, I'm _still_ going to be miserable without you! I don't even want to think about a life without you! I don't want some other woman, Gabriella! I love _you_! Please don't do this to us!"

"Troy…" Gabriella's chest heaved, trying to control her sobs and catch her breath. "We can't. We just can't…."

"You're doing this to make me happy, but I'm telling you that it won't. Getting a divorce is not going to make me happy, Gab. But staying with me will. If you're trying to make me happy, give us another try, please. I don't want a divorce…"

Troy cupped Gabriella's cheek in his hand, wiping away her tears. His gaze only focused on the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Maybe you don't know what's best for you, Troy. You're not thinking clearly. We're getting a divorce."

Gabriella turned around and walked away. Just as she reached the front door, Troy's voice stopped her from opening it.

"So that's it? We're really done? You're giving up on us?" he asked, looking at her with moisture still evident in his eyes.

Gabriella stared at her husband. She wanted to be with him _so_ bad. She wanted him more than she ever wanted anyone. She wanted to wake up every morning to his sleepy face and lazy smile. She wanted to cheer him on at his basketball games and be the first one to cheer him up after a loss. She wanted to cuddle with him by the fire like they did the previous night. She wanted to take Caleb to the park and watch him play while holding Troy's hand. She wanted to feel Troy's protective embrace every day – the one that made her feel so safe and loved. She wanted Troy to be there to hold their newborn child in September. She wanted Troy – more than he would ever know.

But she just couldn't have him. Seeing how upset he got when she told him she was never going to get her memory back proved that he wouldn't be happy in the future. He may still love her, but he would always wish she could remember. It just wasn't right for her to be a reminder of what they used to have.

"No, Troy. I'm not giving up. I'm letting go. I suggest you do the same…" Gabriella stood there, trying to soak in as much of this moment as she could. It was going to be the last time she ever had a chance with Troy. The last opportunity she would ever have to be with him. Once she walked out that door, it was over.

"But… I can't…" Troy choked out, his eyes closed tightly. He took a hesitant step closer to the brunette. "Gabriella…I can't let you go…"

He opened his eyes to reveal the watery blue orbs that entranced Gabriella. She stared into them, seeing the deep sorrow that she had caused.

She had never hated herself more than in that moment.

Gabriella couldn't stop her hand from reaching up and resting on Troy's cheek, feeling the tiny bit of scruff growing since he hadn't shaved that day. He leaned his face into her hand and closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at Gabriella sadly.

"I'm sorry, Troy."

Troy opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the doorbell. Gabriella scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and quickly wiped off the tears from her face before turning away from Troy and opening the door to reveal her mother-in-law and Caleb.

"Hi, Gabriella. Troy asked me to – oh, sweetie. Are you okay?" Lucille asked, concerned by the streaks of moisture that were still on Gabriella's cheeks.

Gabriella nodded without a word and opened the door further for Lucille to come in out of the cold. Caleb was asleep in her arms, his little mouth slightly open.

Lucille stepped over the threshold of the door and gasped when she saw her son standing in the foyer, wiping a stray tear off his face. Her eyes widened as she looked between the two adults.

"Hey, Mom," Troy greeted without looking at the older woman.

"Thank you for watching Caleb, Lucille. I know he's been with you a lot lately and we really appreciate your help," Gabriella took Caleb from Lucille's arms and rested her sleeping toddler on her hip, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead. It had been far too long since she had seen her baby boy.

"You're very welcome, Gabriella, but…" Lucille threw another glance at Troy, and suddenly seemed hesitant to continue, "…if you need me to watch him tonight, I would be more than happy to. I know you two have a lot to work out…"

Gabriella looked at Troy, who had his eyes on the ground. He must have felt her gaze on him because he looked up into Gabriella's eyes, the desperation still clearly there.

"I think we're done, Lucille, but thank you for the offer…" Gabriella watched as Troy shut his eyes tightly and looked away. He silently crossed the foyer and grabbed his jacket off the rack.

"I'm going to head out, Mom," Troy said simply, before turning around and looking at his sleeping toddler expectantly.

"I know…" Gabriella started in a whisper, looking back at Caleb to make sure he was still sound asleep, "…you were supposed to have Caleb tonight, Troy, but…can I…_please_, I just, I haven't - "

"Yeah…" Troy conceded after a long pause, answering Gabriella's incomprehensible question. "You can have Caleb tonight."

"Thank you," Gabriella said gratefully, kissing her little boy once more. "I feel like it's been a while since I've had him…"

Troy nodded. "I know…"

He walked over to give Caleb a kiss on the forehead, pulling back to ruffle his hair.

"Love you, Buddy," Troy whispered, kissing his forehead once again.

The proximity of their faces was enough to cause Gabriella's heart to ache.

"Goodnight," Troy whispered, looking sincerely at Gabriella before turning away and walking out the door.

Gabriella closed her eyes, "Troy…" she started, but he had already turned around and walked out the door.

"Um…Goodbye sweetheart. I'm sure I'll see you soon," Lucille said before quickly following her son out the door.

Gabriella stood there in the foyer, staring at the closed door for a good five minutes. That was it. They were done. They were really going to get divorced. She would never feel Troy's arms around her or his sweet kiss again. She wasn't his wife anymore…

Gabriella suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

Caleb shifted slightly in her arms, causing Gabriella's attention to return to her three-year old. The brunette shut off the lights in the foyer and made her way upstairs to her little boy's room.

At least she had him. Even if she lost the most wonderful man in the world as her husband, at least she had their child. Caleb would always be a reminder of what she could have had with Troy, but gave up to make him happy.

He would be happy after this divorce. She _was_ doing the right thing…

…She had to be.

Gabriella pulled back the covers on the racecar bed and gently set her toddler down on the pillow. He immediately curled up into a ball and snuggled deep under the covers.

God, he was adorable. Gabriella never wanted to let him go again. She didn't want to miss any part of her son's life, but she couldn't take him away from Troy.

Caleb shifted a bit, blinking his eyes a couple of times as he woke up.

"Mommy?" Caleb muttered in his baby voice, his sleepiness obvious.

"Hey, honey," Gabriella cooed, brushing the toddler's hair off his forehead. "It's okay, you're home. You can go back to sleep."

Caleb made a move to sit up and threw his arms around Gabriella's torso as she sat on the bed next to him.

"I missed you, Mommy," he said, burrowing his head in her shirt.

"Aw, sweetie, I missed you so much," Gabriella's heart broke at the fact that this was the first time she had seen her son in almost a week. With everything that had been going on with her and Troy, Lucille had been watching him a lot.

"Where Daddy? I miss him, too," Caleb muttered quietly.

Gabriella took a deep breath at the mention of Troy, and looked at her toddler seriously.

"Daddy went back to his apartment. He kissed you goodnight earlier, honey."

And then came the waterworks.

Caleb's bottom lip wobbled, a sure sign that he was about to tear up. Gabriella had seen enough tears for one day, and this wasn't going to help.

"Honey, it's okay. You can see him tomorrow if you want. We'll go see him play basketball…"

Caleb started crying even harder. "I wanna see Daddy now…I miss him."

"Oh, Caleb. Daddy can't come over right now. It's late. What if you called him? Do you want to do that?"

Caleb looked thoughtful for a moment, and Gabriella took the opportunity to wipe the tears off his cheeks.

"Ok," Caleb agreed.

"Ok," Gabriella kissed the little boy's cheek and turned on his bedroom light before walking into her room to get her phone.

She took a deep breath before dialing Troy's number. It hadn't even been 20 minutes since their big blowup, and Gabriella really didn't want to have another fight with Troy. She just had to be strong and explain that Caleb wanted to talk to him. That was all. She wouldn't allow her heart to ache from hearing his voice.

But that was easier said than done.

"_Gabriella? Is everything okay?"_ Troy answered on the third ring.

"Hey, Troy. Yeah, everything's fine. Your son just woke up and he's crying because he misses you. So I told him it would be okay if he talked to you on the phone. Is that alright?" Gabriella asked tentatively.

"_Of course, Gab. God, I miss him, too," _Troy breathed out, and Gabriella could imagine him running a hand through his hair.

"Okay. I'll put him on- "

"_Wait! I know this sounds stupid since I just got back to the apartment five minutes ago, but is it alright if I come back and see him? I haven't seen him in a while either. At least not awake, anyway…"_

Gabriella was silent for a moment. Was that really such a good idea? Could she control herself around Troy this soon after their argument?

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Troy. Could you just talk to him on the phone for tonight? I'll bring him by your place tomorrow night after your game…"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and Gabriella braced herself for his anger.

But instead, she heard a deep sigh.

"_Sure, that's fine. Put him on…"_

Gabriella knew Troy was frustrated; his tone easily gave it away. But she also recognized how sad he sounded, something that was hard enough to hear. She didn't need to see it etched on his face again tonight.

"Caleb, Daddy's on the phone…" Gabriella handed off her cell to the little boy and watched as a smile grew on his face.

"Hi DADDY!" he said excitedly, and Gabriella sat at the foot of the racecar bed, only hearing the slight mumble of Troy's voice coming through the speaker.

She ran her fingers through Caleb's sandy brown hair – just like his daddy's. Gabriella couldn't stop her mind from wandering to the growing child inside her. Would he or she have sandy brown hair, too? Or would they get her darker brown color? Whatever hair color they had, she hoped they would inherit Troy's amazing blue eyes. At least then she could see them everyday.

"Okay, Daddy. I'll tell her. Night!" Caleb closed the phone and handed it to Gabriella, who was looking at him expectantly.

"Do you have something to tell me, honey?" She asked curiously.

Caleb nodded before letting out a yawn. His eyes started to droop as Gabriella pulled the covers up over him, tucking him in tight.

"Daddy told me to tell you…" Caleb yawned once again, clearly on the verge of falling asleep, "…that he loves you," the toddler finished, promptly dropping off into a deep sleep.

Gabriella stood there looking at Caleb, her mouth dropped open and her heart clenching in pain.

She slowly backed out of the room, her hands shaking.

Something a simple as that shouldn't have caused this kind of a reaction in her. He probably meant to tell Caleb that he loved him, right? Not her.

Oh, God. She was starting to feel dizzy. She really needed to lie down.

What should she do? Should she ignore him when he obviously knew she felt the same way?

No…it was time to grow up and accept the cards they had been dealt. It was out in the open that they both still loved each other, even though they were separating. She couldn't deny that.

But even so, she needed to keep reinforcing the fact that their relationship was over. She wouldn't string him along by reminding him that she loved him.

So quickly, before she lost her nerve, Gabriella typed a quick text message to Troy and then shut off her phone and succumbed to sleep.

Seconds later, Troy's phone lit up with a text message from her.

_Wish it could be enough – G._

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_

Gabriella turned off her cell phone, finally fed up with the excessive number of calls she was getting that day. She had made the mistake of telling her mom what had happened between her and Troy the night before earlier that morning, and now she was getting calls from Taylor, Lucille, her mom again, and even Jack and Chad. She didn't even bother checking her voicemail after the third call. They all said the same thing. They all wanted to talk to her.

The one person that hadn't called was Troy. Not even a text message. It gave Gabriella an eerie feeling. She knew that now they had completely severed the ties he wouldn't text her or call for any reason other than Caleb, but it still caught her off guard. She had been expecting a text or some kind of response to the message she sent him the previous night, but there was nothing.

Gabriella tried not to take it personally. She broke his heart yesterday. But surely in time he would warm back up to her. Especially once he realized that she had been right about the divorce.

In the mean time, she would sit here in this cold waiting room chair in the last place she wanted to be – the doctor's office. Waiting for her first official check-up since finding out she was pregnant.

But every time she thought about the baby, her mind wandered to Troy's incredible "help session".

_God, was that really just yesterday? That, the banquet, and their huge blow-up?_

"Gabriella Bolton."

Gabriella grabbed her purse once the nurse called her name. She smiled politely at the tiny blonde and walked with her to an examination room.

"Hi, Gabriella. I'm Annie. Is this your first child?" the blonde asked politely, washing her hands in the sink.

"Uh…no. It's my second." Gabriella answered awkwardly, taking a seat on the examination table. She still couldn't believe it was her second child. She didn't even remember having the first one.

"Well, then the good news is that none of this is new to you. And I think you'll find the pregnancy will be a little smoother now that your body understands what it's supposed to do," Annie smiled brightly, setting up equipment Gabriella had never seen before – or at least she thought she hadn't.

"So no daddy today?"

Gabriella stared at the blonde, confused. "Excuse me?"

"The father? Will he be joining us today?" Annie asked.

"Oh, uh…" Gabriella hadn't even told him about the examination. "No. Not today."

"Oh…okay. Well, I'm just going to do a quick examination. Normally you wouldn't have an ultrasound for another month and a half or so, but the doctor wanted to make sure everything was normal because you said the pregnancy wasn't planned, and because of any prolonged injuries you may have sustained in your car accident. We just want to make sure everything's perfect."

Gabriella nodded, watching as the blonde nurse read over her file once more.

"Okay, Gabriella. If you could just lie back for me and lift your shirt up a little. This gel might be a little cold…" Annie warned, and Gabriella sucked in a breath.

A knock on the door broke the silence between the two women, and Annie looked curiously at Gabriella.

"Hmm… Sorry about that I don't know who it is…" The blonde walked over to the door and opened it just a crack, speaking in hushed tones to what looked like another physician.

"Oh, of course. Come on in…" Annie offered, opening the door a little wider.

Gabriella's mouth dropped open as she saw Troy slip into the room, closing the door behind him. He looked awkwardly at the floor, the cabinets, the tools, the doctor, the ultrasound screen, until he finally settled his gaze on Gabriella.

"Hey," he said nervously.

If Gabriella was being honest, he looked like shit. Not his appearance anyway, but Gabriella could tell that he hadn't gotten any sleep last night. His eyes revealed so much.

He wasn't the only one that didn't get sleep…

"Okay, let's take a look here. Troy Bolton, you can…uh…I'm sorry. I'm a huge fan. So is my brother. It's just so nice to meet you in person!" the blonde doctor gushed, smiling brightly.

Troy smiled softly, nodding at the doctor. "It's nice to meet you, too."

The blonde giggled, clearly distracted by the fact that a famous basketball player was in the room with her. Gabriella tried to control her jealously as the blonde

pointed to a chair next to the examination table.

"Um, like I was saying, you can sit in that chair right there," Annie turned her attention back to Gabriella. "Okay, let's check out this baby."

Troy and Gabriella were silent for the entire exam. Gabriella snuck stealthy glances at Troy, noticing how entranced he was by the picture of their child on the screen. Once Annie pointed out the little blob that was their baby, Troy's face broke out into a brilliant smile and he finally turned to look at Gabriella, obviously excited about their child. However, her face was like a stone. She couldn't bring herself to show any emotion. All she could think about was how this baby's life was going to be screwed up from the moment it was born.

Troy saw the somber look on Gabriella's face and immediately stopped smiling, swallowing nervously. His face took on a crestfallen expression that he quickly tried to cover up, and Gabriella hated herself once more for not trying to appear happy.

"Well, everything look's good. I'll see you for your next checkup, Gabriella, Troy…" Annie smiled brightly and walked out of the room, leaving the husband and wife alone.

Troy remained silent, and he was shifting back and forth on his feet nervously, like he didn't know if he should leave or if he should stay and wait for Gabriella.

"How did you know?" Gabriella asked, tired of the silence. She sat up and pulled her shirt down over her stomach.

"Your mom," Troy shrugged. "Cohen let me skip the shoot-around to come, but…I should probably head back. "

Carmen. Of course. She had dropped off Caleb that morning so she could watch him. She _would_ tell Troy.

Troy ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Okay…" Gabriella stood up and grabbed her purse off the ground.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Troy asked curiously, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice.

"With everything that's been going on…I honestly forgot. I figured you'd be busy anyway."

Troy shook his head, grabbing Gabriella's hand as she walked by him towards the door.

"Gabriella, you may be shutting me out of your life, but please don't keep me from experiencing this pregnancy. I know you're…uh…doing all the work, but I want to be a part of appointments like these, and I want to know about everything, no matter how insignificant you think it is. I want to be there, every step of the way. Please don't keep me in the dark…"

Gabriella stared at the worried expression Troy wore. He looked helpless. He knew it was up to Gabriella to tell him about things with the baby, and she could tell he didn't trust her to do that.

"I'll try, Troy. I'll tell you about my appointments and exams. I'll let you know if anything's up. I promise." Gabriella nodded, removing her hand from Troy's before she got too comfortable, or worse, gave him the wrong impression, and moved towards the door.

Troy held it open for her and walked beside her in silence out to the parking lot. He had parked his car right next to hers.

"Are you coming to the game tonight?" Troy asked hesitantly before he got in his car.

Gabriella nodded briefly, desperate to get away from Troy. He was already clouding her judgment and she really needed to keep her distance in order not to lead him on.

"Taylor's got your tickets then. I'll be back at the apartment around eleven. You can drop Caleb off any time after that."

"Sounds good, Troy."

And with that, Gabriella hurriedly got into her car and drove away, leaving Troy staring after her, completely and obviously hurt.

* * *

"Are you going to talk to me at all, Gabriella? You've barely said anything the entire game…"

Taylor sighed next to the brunette and crossed her legs.

"I'm sorry, Taylor. I just have a lot on my mind," Gabriella smiled softly, but it came out as more of a grimace. She shifted Caleb on her lap and held on to his waist as he clapped excitedly when Troy ran past him.

The courtside seats weren't exactly what Gabriella had been imagining when Troy said he got her tickets. She was so close to the players that she could see Troy's every glance, every facial expression, every ripple of every muscle as he drove the ball to the basket…

Jesus. Her libido was out of control.

"Well, I'm not going to grill you about Troy. But I want to know how you are holding up. Are you okay?"

Gabriella closed her eyes and thought back to the panic attack she had suffered an hour before the game. It had come on so suddenly that she couldn't figure out a way to stop it. She had been doing so well, distracting herself the entire afternoon with pointless work until she thought about Troy. She had been getting Caleb dressed in his jersey and all of the sudden her mind wandered to the baby and the divorce and how Troy was romantically removed from her life. She let her mind wander to twenty years from now, and that was the mistake. She had only vaguely thought about what life would be like for Troy in ten years or so when she still didn't remember him, but she didn't really stop to think…_really_ think… about what her life would look like.

And she didn't like the image.

Her panic attack arose from that image, and Caleb had been so scared that he had begun to cry. Gabriella tried to will herself to breath but she couldn't. So she kept her attention on the cries of her child, willing herself to get a grip to take care of him. It worked just in time and she found her lungs opening up slowly, fresh air rushing in.

It was scary as hell, though.

And Gabriella wasn't talking about the panic attack when she said that.

"I'm alright."

Gabriella looked down at the court floor as the players walked over to their respective benches for a timeout.

"Really, Gabriella? I can read you like a book. I'm your best friend remember? I know when you're lying."

Gabriella shook her head. "What do you want me to say, Taylor? That I'm miserable? That it hurts so much to be sitting here and seeing him, all the while knowing I can't have him? I can't say that, Taylor, because I'm the one that hurt him. I can't be complaining about how I'm hurting, too."

Taylor looked at her friend sadly. "You know, this is ridiculous. I…" Taylor trailed off as she stared across the court at the Redhawks' bench. Her face suddenly changed into a devious expression.

"You know, maybe you shouldn't be worrying about feeling hurt and sad. I saw Troy earlier with a tall brunette woman. He seemed like he was laughing and having a good time. Maybe he's finally accepted it and moved on…" Taylor shrugged as Gabriella stared at her, opened mouthed with a crushed expression on her face.

"See, that's her right there," Taylor pointed across the court at a brunette sitting right next to the Redhawks' bench. Troy plopped down on the seat next to her and took a drink of water.

Gabriella swallowed, her complexion suddenly turning pale. Maybe he wasn't officially with that woman, but…but…

How would she react when Troy found another woman to be with? Surely he would move on. Gabriella couldn't expect someone with such godly physical traits to stay celibate for the rest of his life. He would eventually find another woman to love and would probably forget all about her, only remembering that she was in his life when he came to visit Caleb and the baby.

But wasn't that the reason she was divorcing him? So he could find another woman and be happy?

Could she really handle that?

Oh, God. And what if Troy decided to have children with the new woman? He was young, and the woman he would marry would probably be young, too. He would start a whole new family with this new girl and forget all about Gabriella and their kids.

Gabriella couldn't imagine herself with any other guy but Troy. He was the definition of perfection. Troy was everything she ever wanted in a lover and more. She would be lonely while Troy would be happy with a new family.

But it could all be prevented if they just got back together.

She couldn't think like that, though. She was trying to do the right thing.

Then again, Troy even said that she was hurting him by filing for divorce, so maybe it would be beneficial if they got back together.

"Gabriella, come on. Tell me what you're thinking," Taylor urged.

"I hate it," Gabriella said. "Please tell me you're joking…"

"Hate what?"

"The idea of him with another woman…I can't even…think about that."

Taylor smiled, satisfied that she had won her fight. "I am joking. He wasn't talking to her. He was moping, which is what he's been doing ever since you broke him last night."

Gabriella ran a hand through her hair, letting out a sigh. Such a simple revelation had been a long time coming, but it still made her want to curl up in a corner and hide from the world.

"Say it," Taylor demanded, catching Gabriella's attention as the players began their game once again.

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"You know what…" Taylor smiled softly, placing a reassuring hand on the brunette's shoulder.

"I was wrong," Gabriella said softly, a small tear slipping out of her eyes. "About everything. I just wanted to…make him happy. I really did, Taylor. I just can't believe…I still don't believe that I'm good enough for him."

"I know you were looking out for Troy, Gabi. I know. But you're stubborn. You always have been. And this is a time where you need to put away your pride and ask him for a second chance. That is the right thing to do. For you, for him, and your children. There's still time to make this right."

Gabriella nodded, another tear dripping down her face. "He hates me. I've hurt him _so_ much. What kind of sick person comes crawling back to someone after they break their heart repeatedly? He would be stupid to take me back…"

Gabriella looked longingly at Troy's figure moving out on the floor. "He deserves so much better. He always has…"

"Gabriella, that's not true. He loves you, you love him. Believe it or not, not a lot of guys would put up with the shit you pulled. He did, though. Because of how much he loves you. Don't push that away, embrace it," Taylor encouraged.

Her speech was cut short by a bad pass that had the ball flying towards Gabriella and Taylor. Gabriella put out her hand to deflect the basketball before it could hit Caleb. However, the little boy had reached his arms out, hoping to grab the ball and one of his fingers got in the way, effectively getting hit – hard.

His lip trembled slightly before he let out a wail. Troy's eyes connected with Gabriella's from across the court and deep concern was etched on his face.

He jogged over to the sidelines to inbound the ball for his team.

"Is he okay?" Troy whispered to Gabriella. She nodded, smiling as Troy gave his son a high five, calming him down instantly. The players weren't technically supposed to delay the game like that, but the ref seemed to allow it.

The game began once again and Gabriella couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"So…" Taylor began, smiling brightly as well. "Talk to him tonight, okay? For the sake of your children, just talk. Explain to him how you've been feeling and let him do the same. See what comes out of it. And whatever you do, don't lie. Be honest. It's about time you guys sat down and let each other know the truth about how you've each been handling the past half year."

"What if he doesn't take me back…?"

"Gabriella, are you blind? Troy is completely and utterly in love with you. Tell him the truth, and I'm sure he'll forgive you."

Gabriella nodded, still smiling slightly. "You're right. Thanks Taylor. I owe you."

"Get back together with that man and make him happy. Then you'll make my husband happy and I will be happy. How's that for paying me back?"

Gabriella giggled at her friend, suddenly giddy and excited for what the night would bring.

"Perfect."

* * *

Troy opened the door quickly after Gabriella knocked. She had never been so nervous in her life. But she also felt sure, sure of everything. She knew for the first time since the accident that she was definitely making the right decision. She just hoped that it would all work out in the end.

"Hey," Troy greeted, smiling softly before reaching his arms out to hold Caleb. Gabriella smiled back, suddenly forgetting what she was going to say.

"Thanks for bringing him over. Sorry about getting hit at the game today," Troy joked lightly, still using a quiet tone. Caleb shifted a little and let out a tired sigh, he would easily fall asleep in minutes as his eyes were already drooping shut.

"Uh…no problem," Gabriella whispered shyly, averting her gaze anywhere but on Troy.

A moment of silence passed through the two, and Gabriella couldn't tear her eyes away from the sad gaze Troy wore as he looked back at her.

"Well…have a good night," Troy nodded briefly before making a move to close the door.

"Wait!" Gabriella exclaimed, her hands beginning to shake. Troy pulled the door open wider and looked at her with a curious expression.

"I know..." Gabriella stopped, running a hand through her hair and looking at the ground. "I know I have no right to ask…but, do you think I could come in for a few minutes? I need to…I need to talk to you."

Troy was silent for a moment, looking over Gabriella with a hopeful gaze. Even after all she'd done to him, he still carried around hope that someday it would change. She was such a monster.

"Of course. Have a seat on the couch while I put Caleb to bed. I'll be quick," Troy murmured, closing the door behind Gabriella and locking it before making his way to one of the two doors leading off of the main room.

Gabriella looked around the main living area. The kitchen was just off to her right and looked like it had never been used. The walls around the living area were bare. A small TV sat upon an even smaller dresser. Add in the couch and a coffee table and that was the entire area.

"I know…it's kind of empty. I didn't really decorate much."

Troy shut the door to Caleb's room behind him and flashed Gabriella an apologetic grin.

"Have a seat," he offered, gesturing towards the couch with his hand.

Gabriella nodded in appreciation and smiled slightly. She settled into the couch and looked up at Troy, who had moved to the kitchen.

"Why didn't you decorate? You could've taken more stuff from the house…"

Troy pulled out a pitcher of water from the fridge and filled two glasses.

"I guess…" Troy sighed, "I didn't think it would be worth decorating."

"Why not?"

Troy looked across the room at Gabriella, a faint blush coming over his cheeks. "I didn't think I'd be here this long."

Gabriella felt her emotions arise and tears start to prick her eyes. She looked away from Troy and muttered a lame, "Oh."

"Here," Troy handed a glass of water to Gabriella when he returned to the living room, taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch.

"Thank you," Gabriella smiled softly, taking a sip and setting the glass down on the coffee table.

"I would've poured wine, but, you know," Troy gestured with his hand and Gabriella noticed a faint blush come over his cheeks.

"Right, the baby. Thanks for thinking about that," Gabriella said awkwardly, with Troy nodding briefly.

"So…" Troy started, fidgeting with the water glass in his hands. "What's up?"

Gabriella closed her eyes for a brief moment, and took a deep breath to steady herself. She could do this, she just had to keep talking and let everything out.

"I was thinking about last night, and how you put everything out on the table. You told me how you felt and what you wanted…and I…I wasn't very clear on what I wanted," Gabriella glanced up at Troy briefly, noticing an intense look on his face as their eyes connected. He nodded quickly, encouraging her to continue.

"And that isn't fair to you. But, to be honest…I had no idea what I wanted last night. Well, I guess I did, but I thought what I wanted wasn't what was right. What I wanted wasn't…good. I thought I was being selfish," Gabriella glanced up at Troy once more and fought the urge to cup his cheek. He was starting to look confused.

"So…I came here to tell you what I want. But before I do, I want to know how you feel…"

"I told you, Gabriella. I love you - "

"I know that," Gabriella interrupted Troy, who now looked more confused than before. "I want to know how you've felt the past half year, Troy. I want to know what you've been feeling through everything. You've told me a little bit, and so have other people, but I want hear the whole story from you."

Troy looked at her in surprise, and Gabriella immediately started backtracking.

"I know I have no right to ask, and you've already put yourself out there for me, but I think it would help if we both understood what we've been feeling since the accident. I think it will help clear some things up…"

Troy nodded, and let out a small laugh. "Uh…well, we're being completely honest here?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, then." Troy took in a deep breath. "Before the accident, our life was perfect. I know a lot of people say that about their lives, but ours really was. We hardly ever argued, and if we did it was about minor things, like how I thought you worked too much or how you didn't think donuts were a good breakfast food for Caleb. Our biggest argument always stemmed from the fact that I was gone so much for basketball. You were really understanding but you loved using the reason to persuade me to do stuff, and it worked like a charm, every time…" Troy grinned slightly, spilling out his memories. "But as far as you and me go, we were perfect…"

Troy looked up at Gabriella, connecting their eyes. "We always have been."

Troy shook his head gently, "I always watched my friends fall in love with their girlfriends in middle school and then laughed when they fell apart two or three weeks later. I thought every couple was melodramatic and none of them were really in love. I mean, we were twelve and thirteen years old…how the hell did we even know what love was?"

Troy shifted a bit on the couch, turning to face Gabriella a little more. "I was always…popular, I guess you could say. I hate calling it that, but I guess that was what it was. I was on the basketball team in middle school, made varsity my freshman year of high school, and I…well, I guess my looks didn't hurt me either…"

Gabriella smiled at how uncomfortable Troy was complementing himself. He was so humble. He never acted like he was hot or had an amazing body, even though he obviously did.

"So…being a teenage guy, I was obviously really excited to, you know, have sex and experience all that. So I…did stuff, messed around a little. I didn't necessarily sleep around, but…well… let's just say that I wasn't a virgin when I met you.

"Anyway," Troy ran a hand through his hair, "When I met you we were just sixteen, and I was immediately attracted to you…and wanted to sleep with you."

Troy blushed, as did Gabriella, and they both looked away from each other.

"But…there was something different about you. I didn't _just_ want to sleep with you, I wanted to talk to you, spend time with you. I became so infatuated with you that I ended up singing in a school musical because you asked me to. I found myself willing to do anything to spend time with you. And…then I finally got the guts to ask you out, and when you said yes, I…"

Troy shook his head, laughing slightly, "I found myself becoming what I had criticized my friends for being – completely in love with you. I know we were only sixteen, but it was different with us. We were more…mature than a lot of our classmates. And we were so different! That's why everyone couldn't understand how we were together. You were smart and academic, and I was a jock. Relationships like ours just weren't heard of…

"…but, we were happy, and everyone could see that. I didn't even care that we weren't having sex, because I wanted to wait until you were ready. Our relationship outlasted everyone else's. Yeah, we broke up once because our differences were beginning to be a little daunting, but we got back together because we realized that we needed each other. Like I said, we were perfect together."

Gabriella placed a hand gently on Troy's knee for a moment, and he looked up at her with sad eyes, covering her hand with his.

"I was so in love with you by the time senior year came around, that, despite criticism, I decided to play basketball for Cal because it allowed me to be closer to you at Stanford."

"Troy, I want to understand how you've felt, but I think it's important to tell me how you've felt since the accident, not before…" Gabriella said timidly.

Troy swallowed a bit, "Right, well…we graduated, got married, I got drafted, you got a job, we had Caleb, and everything was perfect…

"…and then on our three-year anniversary…you got in a car accident on the way to work. You weren't supposed to work that day, but you got called in to do…damage control or something, I don't know all the details, but they needed you."

Gabriella nodded, suddenly feeling awkward with her hand resting on Troy's knee. She slipped it out from underneath his hand, and his sad eyes searched hers once again before he let out a sigh.

"So, anyway…I get a call from the hospital, and I literally felt like my entire life was ending at that moment. I felt a little better to hear you were alive, but those few hours waiting to hear news on your condition were hell. I was so scared, but I needed to act like everything was okay, or Caleb would have a fit.

"When I heard you didn't remember anything about our life together…well, that sucked," Troy laughed, "but really, it hurt. I remember wondering how our life would change. I still loved you, obviously, but you didn't know who I was. I knew we couldn't go back to being the married couple that we were, but I hoped we could get there eventually. I just didn't expect it to be so hard...

"…you've always been there for me when I've had a shitty day or needed you in my arms. And I couldn't have you anymore – like that, anyway. It was hell not knowing whether or not you would ever love me again. I hated it. But…I had to deal. I tried to sneak in little touches here and there to keep me going. Sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable…"

Gabriella smiled, encouraging Troy to continue.

"I was depressed. Happy you were alive, but still depressed, because things didn't look like they were going to change. And then we slept together, and everything was right again. I know you still didn't remember me, but after we got through the awkwardness of not knowing whether the other wanted it, I was ecstatic. Just…to feel affection from you, and to be able to show you my love for you – it was something I really missed. You're my best friend, no doubt, but you're also my lover, and it was hard once I had you like that to only be your friend and not be able to be more.

"So things were good for…less than a week. But it was the happiest I had been since the accident. Then you came to Chicago, and things seemed different. You wouldn't…I don't know, respond to my touch? It was like you were trying to avoid any affection between us. And I couldn't figure out why. Then Chad told me you saw Beth and I figured you thought there was something between us…but even though you knew there wasn't, I still got divorce papers days after."

Troy looked Gabriella in the eyes, the pain in them showing through clearly. "The divorce papers…that…I can't even explain how much that hurt. I couldn't even think for the longest time. I couldn't…I still can't imagine my life without you in it. You're everything to me. I can't even comprehend losing you. But I wanted to make you happy, so I went along with it. Even though it killed me to do it, I filled out the papers and moved out. But…like I said before, I couldn't imagine not being with you, so in order to not completely stop functioning I…kind of deluded myself into thinking that we would get back together. Which is why I haven't decorated…"

Troy ran a hand through his hair before standing up and walking around the room.

"I've hurt you…" Gabriella said softly, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Troy turned around and stared at her from across the room, his own eyes beginning to water as he nodded.

"Yeah."

Gabriella closed her eyes as a tear spilled out. She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Troy.

"You've also confused the hell out of me. Especially when you let me hold you, or…act like you still want me. That gets my hopes up, and then the pain is even worse when you reject me again. Like…after we slept together yesterday and it felt…perfect, Gab. We're so perfect for each other. But you said it didn't mean anything."

Troy shook his head and walked back to sit closer to Gabriella on the couch.

"Gabriella, it means everything to me, and that's why it hurts so much to think you don't care."

Troy closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hands, obviously frustrated. "And then you tell me that you love me, but that you're trying to give me the freedom to see other women, when all I want, and all I've ever wanted is you. But even after I tell you that, you won't change your mind. You still want a divorce…"

Gabriella wiped the tears off of her face and looked at Troy, realizing he was finished. He looked at her with tear-filled eyes, the blue in them sparkling brilliantly.

"I guess it's my turn," Gabriella sighed.

"What have you been feeling since the accident?" Troy asked gently, moving back to the other side of the couch.

"Well, first of all…" Gabriella let herself cave in to the desire to be in her husband's arms and crawled over to Troy. She cupped his cheek in her palm, running her other hand through his hair. Troy responded immediately, encircling her waist with his arms.

As she pulled away from their hug, Gabriella gave Troy a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. That was never my intention. But thank you for so honest with me."

Troy nodded, letting go of Gabriella but stopping her from moving to the other end of the couch. He obviously wanted her to be close.

"I know you didn't deliberately try to hurt me. This has just hurt so much because I am crazy in love with you," Troy smiled softly avoiding Gabriella's gaze. "But enough about me. I feel like an asshole for not paying more attention to how you were coping with the accident."

"Don't feel bad, Troy. I think we both weren't thinking past our own emotions this entire time. Well…the first thing I remember is waking up in a hospital. Um…the doctor called me 'Mrs. Bolton' and I was really confused because I had never heard that name before, and no one had ever used a title with me. It was always 'Gabriella'. But…yeah, so then I found out that I wasn't fifteen, I was actually 25. And I immediately, just…freaked out. You're obviously familiar with how some emotions are hard to explain, and…just…knowing that I'd forgotten the past nine years of my life…it didn't feel real. I felt like I was in a movie, or that it was all a dream. I couldn't comprehend anything. The doctors were telling me all of this stuff about me having a husband and a child and…all I could think about was how much I would've rather been anyone else in the world but myself at that moment. Because seriously, how many people get into a car accident and are perfectly fine, except they suffer significant memory loss? I would've rather been a burn victim, scarred for life but at least able to remember my own son and husband…"

Troy looked at Gabriella with a shocked expression, and opened his mouth to say something, but Gabriella interrupted.

"I _hated_ myself for a long time, Troy. I still do. Because no matter what I did, I did the wrong thing. I hurt someone. Even though I may have healed quickly after the accident, I was still healing, mentally, for a long time after that. But…my mom left, and I was expected to deal with it on my own. I was expected to fit right back into the life I had before the accident. Everything was expected to be normal again, and I was terrified because nothing felt normal to me. It all felt new. I didn't feel like I belonged in the house, I felt like I was a guest…

"But I think the thing that intimidated me the most was _you_. Everyone seemed to be so anxious for me to get back together with you and I was scared. There was so much pressure for us to be together…"

"Gab, I had no idea that - " Troy started.

"Please, let me finish, Troy," Gabriella interrupted her husband, looking up at the ceiling.

"I was terrified to meet you. I had no idea what my husband would be like, and then when you first walked into the hospital room, I was blown away. You were gorgeous, devastatingly handsome, you had an amazing body, and the most expressive eyes I had ever seen. And it didn't stop at the physical attributes. You looked so nervous to meet me, or I guess see me, and immediately offered to help me with anything I needed. I was so uncomfortable in that moment because I felt like you were way, _way_ too good for me. You were perfect. The perfect guy, and…I was intimidated. And a little shy.

"The first few months after the accident I wasn't in love with you. I…started feeling things for you, but it wasn't love. And then…it just hit me. I fell so hard for you, but I couldn't tell you because, to me anyway, I didn't feel like you loved _me_. Last night I made the comment that I wasn't your Gabriella. Well, I actually feel that way. I feel like she's a different person, like I'm not her. And because of that I convinced myself that any affection you showed me was really just a natural instinct of yours, and that you really wished that my memory would return so you would get your wife back. It hurt for me to think that you would never be able to love _me_, and that you would always love _her._"

Gabriella shifted a leg underneath her as she turned more towards Troy.

"But I eventually told myself that it was okay if you never truly loved _me_. As long as you cared about me, I would be satisfied. So…we had sex. It was a spur of the moment thing, but it was amazing. And you told me you loved me. It was the first time I had ever heard you say it directly to me, and it made me feel so incredible. But the next morning was a wake up call, and I realized that you could potentially only be saying that to _her_, not to _me. _So then that made me insecure, but I pushed it aside and tried to enjoy being with you. I could tell you liked being with me, too, but I knew you were disappointed because things weren't the same as they were before the accident. _I _wasn't the same. But seeing you with Beth was the breaking point. I know you weren't with her, but realizing that you would probably be happier with another woman who didn't fail to meet your expectations or remind you of better times caused me to file for divorce. I knew you might be a little upset at first, but I figured later on down the road you would thank me."

Troy continued to stare at Gabriella with an astounded expression, his mouth moving, but no words coming out.

"But it was hard to be away from you once I knew how incredible it was to have you. So I caved once in awhile. I let you hold me, or flirted, or brushed up against you. But afterwards I felt _so_ guilty because I could tell I was leading you on. And that's exactly what I didn't want to do. That's why I would then refuse to go out to lunch with you, sit you near you, answer your text messages…it wasn't fair to you, but it was really hard to let go of you."

Troy shook his head while he closed his eyes. He let out a deep breath and looked back at Gabriella, nodding for her to continue.

"And then…I found out I was pregnant. And everything changed. I felt a pull towards you that was stronger than anything. I wanted to be with you so badly, to go through this pregnancy with you, and…I wanted to be a family, but I still felt like I owed you a chance at happiness with another woman. So…I kept it a secret for a while and then eventually told you. It was such an intimate moment that I didn't want to stop it, so I let you spend the night. And then the next morning I just had this huge desire to be with you, and I tried to fight it, I really did, but you're so…" Gabriella let out a sigh, "I couldn't stop you – I didn't want to…

"Then I did what I do best. I pushed you away. It was wrong and cruel, and I knew I was teasing you, getting your hopes up and then ripping them to pieces, but I didn't know what else to do. I still didn't feel like I was good enough for you. I truly believed that you could be happy with…someone else."

Gabriella took a sip of her water before looking at Troy sincerely, "That's it. That's what I've been feeling these past few months…"

Troy nodded, averting his gaze. "So…you said you were going to tell me what you want, right?"

"Yeah, Troy. I'll tell you what I want," Gabriella touched Troy's cheek to get him to look at her once more. Her nerves flying away, leaving her confident and sure.

"I want my memory back. But more than that, I want to be with you," Gabriella removed her hand from Troy's cheek, running it through her own curls.

"I love you, Troy. I feel amazing when I'm with you, and it hurts when we can't be together. I don't want a divorce. Not at all."

"Gabi…"

"Wait! I don't want a divorce, but I don't feel like I deserve you. If there's anything I've been reminded of after our argument yesterday and your confession tonight, it's that you are way too good for me. I've hurt you so much, and it would be entirely selfish of me to expect you to be with me after all I've put you through," Gabriella shook her head sadly.

Troy looked at her, utterly confused. "So," he ran a hand through his hair, letting out a breath. "You still want a divorce?"

"No. I don't want a divorce, Troy. I want to be with you, but I want you to decide if _you_ want to be with _me._ If you don't anymore, I understand. And…" Gabriella said, holding up her hand as Troy began to speak "I don't want you to decide tonight. Think it over for a couple of days and let me know. Don't worry about hurting my feelings or anything. I deserve some pain after what I've put you through…"

Gabriella stood up off the couch, grabbing her purse that was settled by her feet. She leaned down to kiss Troy gently on the forehead before lifting his chin with her hand so he would look her in the eyes.

"For what it's worth, Troy," Gabriella started, tears flooding her eyes. "I'm so sorry. So, _so_ sorry. I never meant to hurt you like I have."

Gabriella stepped around the couch and walked towards the door, turning back slightly, "I'll pick up Caleb tomorrow night. Goodnight, Troy."

Gabriella unlocked the door and quickly shut it behind her as she felt the cool breeze of the crisp night air tickle her skin. She wiped away the treacherous tears that began to flow down her face as she walked towards the stairs.

Just before she reached the first step, she heard a door open and footsteps quickly approaching. She turned around just in time to see Troy before he scooped her up in his arms and kissed her forcefully.

Gabriella immediately returned the kiss, winding her arms around Troy's neck and letting out a soft moan of pleasure. Troy pulled her more tightly against his body as he began to quickly walk back to his apartment. Before opening the door back up, he pulled away from Gabriella and rested his forehead on hers.

"I don't need a couple of days to decide if I still want to be with you, Gabriella. I always want to be with you. I know you hurt me, but look at how much you've been hurting too. We've both been trying to figure out how to be happy when all we've ever needed was each other. I don't care that you don't remember me, because I love _you_ – Gabriella Bolton. Don't ever feel like _you_ can't compare to who _you_ were before the accident. You're exactly the same, Gab. And I love you just as much now as I did before you lost your memory. I'm _so_ excited to start another chapter of our lives together with this new baby and I can't wait to see what the future will hold for us. I want you forever. I don't need time to figure that out. I know."

Troy pulled his head back to look into Gabriella's eyes. "So…what do you say we forget about what is right and wrong and follow our hearts for once? Can we call off the divorce and be happy together?"

Gabriella's answering smile was brilliant, and she immediately pulled Troy's head to hers and kissed him passionately.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Gabriella exclaimed.

Troy let out a gentle laugh, genuinely smiling for the first time that evening.

"Thank God, Gabriella. Finally!"

Gabriella giggled and blushed slightly as Troy continued to study her face. She felt his hand press against the back of her jeans as he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his torso before burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"I love you, Troy. So much…" She whispered, pressing a soft kiss just below his ear.

Gabriella felt Troy shudder beneath her and he gripped her a little tighter.

"If you love me, Gab, can you do me a favor?" He asked in a raspy voice, bringing them both into the apartment and shutting the door. Gabriella dropped her purse on the floor, completely consumed with everything Troy.

"Anything…" She whispered, pulling her head back to look into his desperate eyes.

"Show me."

Gabriella's lips were suddenly assaulted by Troy's mouth as her hands worked tirelessly on the buttons of his long sleeve dress shirt. He managed to push her hands away long enough to fling her blouse over her head and for Gabriella to peel Troy's long sleeve off of him. She immediately let out a frustrated sigh when her fingers were met with another barrier blocking his godly chest.

Troy smiled, he laughter turning into a guttural groan as Gabriella's hands dipped underneath the undershirt and she dragged her nails up and down his chest.

She pushed his chest away as he tried to kiss her neck, and he lifted his arms up as Gabriella whipped his shirt off and tossed it haphazardly on the floor.

Gabriella immediately wound her arms around Troy's neck and pressed her lips forcefully to his as his hands reached down to her ass, pulling her tight enough against him that she could feel his obvious desire for her. He moved quickly toward the other door in the apartment, opening it to reveal a poorly decorated bedroom with a bed and a table beside it.

Gabriella would have to talk to him about that later…

...but not when his lips just started sucking on her collarbone.

"Oh, God. Troy!" Gabriella couldn't even stop the moan that left her mouth. She tried to quiet her breathing down, knowing her toddler was sleeping in the other room, but she was finding it very difficult to concentrate.

The brunette felt her legs hit the back of the bed and only then did she notice her jeans were no longer on her legs. Damn, he was good.

Gabriella's back hit the mattress as Troy climbed on top of her, still keeping their lips connected. He grabbed her hips to move her head up on the pillow.

"This is kind of a…small bed…oh, God…compared to…ours…" Gabriella managed to say in between kisses. Giggling as Troy's lips began a trail down her collarbone to in between her breasts.

"Ours…" Troy mumbled, lifting his head up to look Gabriella in the eyes sincerely. "I love the sound of that."

Smiling, the two pressed their lips together passionately before Troy kissed the mound of each of her breasts gently, slipping his hand behind her back to finger the clasp.

Gabriella ran her hands up Troy's back, pulling him closer to her and forcing him to kiss her once again.

The brunette's hands slowly moved to Troy's lower back and she pushed her hips forward against his. He let out a groan and sucked in a breath.

"Holy shit, Gab."

Gabriella giggled, but stopped abruptly as Troy continued to struggle with her bra clasp. She moved her hands to his face and cupped his cheeks. His piercing blue eyes returned to hers, and Gabriella saw something in them she hadn't seen before.

Gabriella kissed him gently, slowing their frantic pace down momentarily. She pulled away and smiled at him.

"You're nervous…" she said softly, running a hand through his hair. It was obvious. That man could usually have her bra clasp undone in less than a second.

Troy looked at her, shocked for a minute before avoiding her gaze by pressing his face into her shoulder.

"A little, yeah," he mumbled.

"Why, baby?" Gabriella ran her hands up and down his back soothingly.

Troy made eye contact once again as soon as she called him baby. He smiled a shy smile and kissed the side of her mouth gently.

"I just…this means so much to me. Being with you like this. I don't want it to fuck anything up. I can't…I know you said you love me, but I don't think…I could handle it if this didn't…mean anything to you. Damn Gab, I'm sorry I'm just a - "

"No, Troy. Listen, I get it. I've lost your trust. And I'm going to work _so_ hard to get it back. I know it's going to take time - "

"Gab," Troy shook his head, letting out a groan, except this time it was out of frustration. "I do trust you. I love you. I…this is stupid. I'm not nervous about having sex with you, Jesus…"

"Troy…please look at me," Gabriella ordered in a soothing tone. The blue orbs connected with her brown eyes once again, desperation clear.

"I love you, and being with you, like this? It's always meant something to me, Troy. I can't even describe it. The way you hold me, like you're never going to let me go. I feel so protected. You caresses make me feel so loved, and I can't help but think whatever you're giving me…there's no way I can ever give that to you in return. I want to show you how much I love you, Troy. And this right here means the world to me. Please believe me. If you're not ready for this, we can take things slow. We don't have to jump right into sex…"

Troy looked away for a moment, closing his eyes tightly before a small smile broke out on his face. He pressed a kiss to Gabriella's cheek while his hand moved to her hip.

"You really think I'm going to let you walk out of this bedroom now that you're naked in front of me? Especially when I been deprived of you for _way_ too long?" At that moment, Gabriella felt the clasp of her bra come undone. "Gab, come on. I'm a man…

"But in all seriousness, this means something to you? After this…we're still going to be together?" Troy asked, seemingly in a better mood, but still obviously concerned.

"This means everything, Troy," Gabriella murmured, her eyes fluttering closed as Troy's caresses brought her to a place she hadn't truly been in a long time – home.

* * *

**It's been forever, I know. But this is the longest chapter so far. I'm super nervous about posting it because no matter how many times I re-write it this is the general outcome. Hopefully it didn't disappoint too much. **

**And all I have to say is…if this is what Troy and Gabriella are like when they're trying to find their footing with each other again, wait until they get back into the swing of things. ;)**

**I'm not listing a date for the next chapter, because, well, we all know how that ends up. But I will get it up ASAP!**

**Thanks so much for sticking with me!**

**WoundedSparrow**


	23. Bliss

**So… here's the next installment. There's only about four chapters left to go in the story, so it will be finished soon and you won't have to wait forever for updates anymore. ;)**

**Hope it doesn't disappoint! Enjoy! Happy Easter!**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 23: Bliss**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

The feeling of the cool pillow against his face caused Troy to burrow deeper beneath the covers in his bed. He sighed contently as he relished in the feeling of a wonderful night of sleep – something he had been sorely lacking for almost half a year.

Eyes still closed, Troy reached his left hand over to the other side of the small bed, fisting the sheets in his hands and rolling himself over to pull the warm body next to him closer.

But instead of a warm body Troy's hands kept grabbing empty sheets.

The basketball star shot up from his comfortable position and opened his eyes in shock as he stared at the empty spot next to him. His heart started racing as he frantically looked around the room, searching for any sign of the brunette beauty he finally got back into his life the night before.

Dread coursed through Troy's veins as he realized Gabriella was not in the room.

"Fuck…" he muttered, flying out of the bed and pulling on his boxers and a pair of shorts before quickly grabbing a clean t-shirt from his closet. His hands were shaking as pulled the fabric over his head.

Troy whipped open his bedroom door and looked out into the living room and kitchen area, only to find no one in sight. Caleb's bedroom was empty, too.

Moisture started to fill the young man's eyes as he rushed to the kitchen counter to grab his car keys.

"No, she can't…she promised. She fucking promised," he muttered to himself in despair, choking over his words as pain struck him straight through the heart.

He ran out of the tiny apartment, quickly rushing down the stairs and into the parking lot towards his car. Just as he was about to turn on the ignition he noticed Gabriella's car pulling into the lot a few spaces down.

Scrambling out of the car, Troy jogged over to the tiny brunette who was helping their young son out of his car seat. Caleb rushed to Troy when he saw his dad. He wrapped his tiny arms around Troy's legs and craned his head back to look up at him.

"Daddy, guess what! Mommy and I went growry shopping! We gots lots of stuff! She buyed eyes cream!" The toddler cheered, and Troy reached down to pick up his son, situating the boy on his hip before turning to look at Gabriella. He was too distracted to answer his son.

She smiled softly, shrugging at Caleb's comment before her smile slowly started to disappear, a look of concern and shock replacing it as she stared intently at Troy. He swallowed and looked away from Gabriella's gaze, still not saying a word.

The brunette shook her head sadly. She locked her car and walked past Troy and Caleb, holding three bags of groceries in her two hands. Troy followed a few steps behind, remaining silent. Once they were in the apartment, Gabriella finally spoke up.

"Caleb, why don't you go pack up your toys in your room for when you go home later today?"

"Kay, Mommy!" Caleb squealed as Troy set the little boy down. He ran at full speed into his bedroom.

Gabriella set the grocery bags down on the kitchen counter before grabbing Troy's hand and pulling him into his bedroom. She shut the door and let out a sigh before turning around to face him.

"You thought I left…" she stated quietly, crossing her arms over her stomach and looking at the floor.

Troy took a deep breath, trying to get a hold of himself. Just minutes ago he had been sure that Gabriella had left him once again. He had believed she broke her promise to him, and now she was standing in his apartment with groceries. Did that mean she still wanted to be with him? Troy was so confused.

"You did leave. I…I woke up and you were gone. What was I supposed to think?" Troy mumbled, giving Gabriella a gentle, but uncomfortable look.

The brunette looked sadly up at her husband, and Troy could make out a few tears forming in her eyes.

"Didn't you read the note I left on the fridge? The one that said I had gone to the grocery store with Caleb and that I would be back?" she asked, unable to keep all of the hurt out of her voice.

Troy swore under his breath and put his hands over his face.

"You left a note? Shit…I didn't even see it," he murmured.

Gabriella took a tentative step forward and placed her hand on Troy's bicep. He lowered his hands to look at her.

"I thought…I woke up and you weren't there. And then you weren't in the apartment, either. I… I thought you left me again. And…I…I'm sorry I didn't see the note. I just was too caught up in the possibility that even though I thought everything was good between us, something went wrong. For a couple minutes I thought that… sex had screwed over our relationship again," Troy admitted, his shoulders sagging as he sat down on the edge of his bed.

Gabriella moved to step in between Troy's legs. She rested her hands on his shoulders and looked deeply into his eyes.

"I meant what I said last night, Troy. I'm not going anywhere. I love you so much and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I know it's going to take a while for you to trust that I'm telling the truth, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to earn your trust back. I'm sorry I wasn't there this morning. Caleb came into the room and woke me up for his breakfast and I noticed there wasn't much food here, so we decided to go to the grocery store. I never deliberately meant to leave you alone, or to make you think I had left you. That's why I wrote a note, just in case you jumped to that conclusion…"

Troy nodded, closing his eyes and reaching his hands out to grasp Gabriella's hips. He leaned his head forward to rest his forehead against her stomach.

"It's not your fault, I just overreacted. I'm sorry…"

Gabriella ran her fingers through Troy's hair.

"I think it was just miscommunication on both of our parts. But…if it's any consolation, I really wanted to wake up with you this morning," Gabriella smiled, giving Troy a soft kiss on his hair.

Troy lifted his head off of Gabriella's stomach and grabbed both of her hands, holding them tightly.

"Last night was…incredible. I can't even describe how amazing it felt. I love you so much," Troy said, kissing both of her hands.

Gabriella grinned and pushed Troy's chest so he fell back against the bed. She crawled over him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Last night was perfect. And I can't wait to have a lifetime of perfect nights with you…" She said brightly, burying her head in the crook of Troy's neck.

Troy smiled, wrapping his arms around Gabriella. "And I can't wait for those perfect nights to be followed by perfect mornings where I wake up next to you."

Gabriella giggled. "I promise I'll be there next time."

"I believe you. Now how many minutes do you think we have until Caleb comes in here to see what we're up to?" Troy asked, feeling immensely more optimistic than he had been 20 minutes ago.

"Less than five minutes, Troy. Don't try anything…" Gabriella warned as she lowered her head to give Troy a slow, sensual kiss.

"Are you kidding me? After that? Get your ass back over here," Troy grinned as Gabriella leapt off the bed and walked toward the door.

The brunette sped up to reach it but was caught gently around the waist by Troy, who clicked the lock on his door and carried her back to the bed, laying her down before crawling over her.

"Troy! We can't! Caleb's going to – Oh my God! Troy!" Gabriella moaned as Troy slid his hand slowly up her thigh while sucking gently on the sensitive spot on her neck.

"Mmmm…you were saying?" Troy mumbled, looking up at her with his bright blue eyes. Gabriella shook her head in defeat and pulled his mouth to hers once more, wrapping her arms around him to press him closer.

"Jesus, Gab," Troy groaned, slipping his right hand underneath her shirt and moving it slowly up towards her breasts before he stopped, and moved it quickly back down to her stomach.

Troy lifted up Gabriella's shirt and rubbed his hand gently over her stomach before pressing a gentle kiss there.

"I can't wait to meet you, little one," he smiled, pressing another kiss to her stomach before reaching up and pulling Gabriella's lips to meet his.

"You still feeling okay?" he asked when he pulled away. "No headaches, morning sickness, weariness?"

Gabriella shook her head and closed her eyes. "I'm fine…the only symptom I have is this increased libido, and I'd say you're a pretty good remedy for that."

Troy edged Gabriella's jeans down her legs as he smiled brightly. "I've told you before, I am more than willing to be your remedy for that. Anytime, any day, anywhere."

"Be careful with how much you offer. I might just take you up on that…locker room, back seat of the car, in the gym, on my office desk…" Gabriella warned playfully, ripping Troy's shirt off.

"That's so fucking hot, Gab," He mumbled, pressing his lips to hers once more before groaning as she traced her nails up his chest.

Just as Gabriella began to slip her hand underneath the band of Troy's boxers, the two parents heard tiny fists banging on the door, followed by a muffled voice.

"Mommy I'm done! I putted everything in my backpack. Can I have eyes cream now, pwease?"

"There's no fucking way I'm letting you leave this bed right now," Troy warned quietly, holding Gabriella's arms above her head and pressing a kiss right between her breasts.

"But, Troy…he's three. We can't just leave him out there. And I promised him ice cream…" Gabriella started to shift her weight up on her elbow. "I told you we wouldn't have enough time…"

"Gabi!" Troy complained, rolling over and throwing an arm across his eyes. "You are not leaving me hanging right now!"

Gabriella giggled. She was sexually frustrated as well, but she knew Caleb took precedence over any sexual activities her and Troy were about to engage in.

But she did feel a little guilty, especially staring at the obvious tent in Troy's boxers.

With his eyes still covered up by his arm, Gabriella moved quickly, slipping her hand underneath Troy's boxers and wrapping her hand around him tightly.

He gasped in surprise and pure ecstasy as she began to slide hand up and down.

"Gabriella…God, that feels so amazing…" he groaned, lifting his hips off the mattress slightly.

Gabriella lowered her mouth to give him a small kiss through the fabric of his boxers, and he immediately pulled her off of him.

"I need to be inside of you," he said in a strained tone as he flipped her over and crawled on top of her once again.

"MOMMY! EYES CREAM!"

"Fucking hell!" Troy exclaimed a little loudly, getting himself off the bed and walking straight into the bathroom where he turned on a cold shower. Gabriella giggled at his reaction and pulled herself together as she walked over to the door.

"Hey, Baby?" Troy peek his head around the corner of his bathroom. "You know I have an away game trip, right? We leave tonight and I'm not back for a week and a half."

Gabriella's heart dropped through the floor. "What? Um…no I didn't know that. I just thought I had Caleb for a while."

"Yeah, a week and a half. It will go by quickly, Gab, I promise. But…because I'm not leaving until ten tonight, I'm reserving you from seven until 9:30, okay? Caleb can go to bed early…" Troy's eyes turned a darker shade of blue, and Gabriella felt her lower stomach clench in anticipation.

"I'm all yours. Will we be taking a nap?" Gabriella teased, her hand on the doorknob.

Troy grinned mischievously. "Oh, no. I plan to finish what we've started here…" he walked over to Gabriella and pulled her close to his chest, whispering in her ear, "…at least five times over."

Gabriella smiled brightly, gave Troy a steamy kiss. "Can't wait."

"Mmmm…" Troy wrapped his arms more tightly around the petite brunette and buried his face in her curls. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Troy," Gabriella whispered back, resting her head on Troy's chest and sighing in content.

"MOMMY!" Caleb's loud cries broke up the intimate moment between the couple and caused the parents to look at each other in shock and their toddler's wails reached an unbearable level.

Gabriella opened the door to find her toddler laying on the ground sobbing. Guilt immediately raced through her as she dropped to the floor and pulled him into her lap.

"I'm so sorry sweetie. I _did_ promise you ice cream and I'm going to get you some right now, okay?" Gabriella cooed, ruffling her son's hair.

Troy stepped outside the bedroom, still in only his boxers, and leaned down next to Gabriella, wiping some of the tears off of Caleb's face.

"It's okay, buddy. I didn't mean to keep Mommy from you. We'll get you ice cream."

Caleb's face turned to a pout as he had a hard time sucking in air to continue his cries.

"You and Mommy aways ignore me! You never pway with me, or go to the park. I wanna see you and Mommy more…" Caleb sobbed, clutching Gabriella shirt.

Gabriella's stared at her son with wide eyes before looking at Troy in shock. He mirrored the same expression back at her. They both knew that Caleb had taken the back seat to their own relationship the past few weeks, but they had no idea that the toddler felt he was being ignored.

Troy and Gabriella felt horrible for not paying more attention to their son. Of course it was important for them to mend their own relationship, but their son should not have to suffer because they were.

"Oh, buddy. We're so sorry. Mommy and I love you more than anything in the world. We love playing with you. From now on we're going to spend a lot more time with you, okay?"

Caleb looked up at his father with watery eyes and crawled from Gabriella's lap into Troy's, hugging the man fiercely.

"Pwomise?"

Troy nodded. "I promise, little man. In fact, Daddy doesn't have practice today, and I think he can convince Mommy to take the day off of work. So what if we all spend the day together? We can get ice cream here and then go back to the house and play with your toys for a while. Maybe later tonight we can go to the park. How does that sound?"

Caleb's eyes lit up and he nodded fiercely. "Yay! I wanna pway with my twain set and Twucks!"

Troy looked over at Gabriella. "Do you think you could take another day off of work?"

Gabriella smiled softly, nodding. "Sure. What's one more day off?"

* * *

"Hey, Mom. How are you?"

"_Troy! Honey I'm doing fine. But how are you holding up? You didn't call last night after your game and your father was looking forward to going over some of your amazing plays. Have you talked to Gabriella again? Please tell me you're not giving up on her…"_

"Mom…slow down," Troy laughed at Lucille's concern. He looked out the glass doors into his backyard, watching as Gabriella played with Caleb and his Tonka Trucks. "I'm actually holding up pretty well, all things considered."

"_Honey I know it's hard. I know it hurts to keep getting rejected, but you've got to keep trying. One of these times she'll come through. This is so painful, Troy. I hate seeing you this unhappy. And she looks torn up about it too…"_

"Mom, I need to tell you something. Promise you'll let me finish talking before you jump in and say anything, okay?"

"_Did you find someone else?"_

"What? No, of course not."

"_Well then…what's going on?"_ Lucille questioned curiously.

"When Gabriella dropped off Caleb at the apartment last night, she stayed for a bit and we talked about a lot of stuff. And…well…we're officially back together."

There was a long pause on the other side of the phone, and Troy began to wonder whether it had been a bad idea to tell his mother this over the phone.

"_You're back together? What does that mean? You were back together for about a week in December and then she filed for divorce?"_

Yep. Typical Lucille reaction. She was always worried about her baby.

"This time, we're back together for good. Back in December we really didn't solve any of our problems. She only admitted that she was attracted to me. But now, we both understand what the other's been going through since the accident, and we're on the same page with what we each want from our relationship. But…we're actually together. Finally…" Troy sighed, a smile breaking over his face.

Gabriella looked at him through the window from the sand pit she and Caleb were in and smiled brightly at him, giving him a wave. Troy returned it, closing his eyes in disbelief that his life had taken a 180 in less than a day.

"_Oh my…honey. That's great! Oh, sweetie I'm so happy for you! You've been so strong through this entire thing and it's paid off! Are you at the house, then? Are you moving back in?"_

"Yeah. We moved most of my stuff from the apartment back here today. And I don't have to sleep in the guest bedroom anymore," Troy couldn't seem to wipe the smile off of his face.

"_You're father and I are on our way over right now! We'll be there in fifteen minutes. Oh, honey I'm so happy! This is wonderful!" _

"Uh, Mom. You really don't have to come over. I don't want to freak Gabriella out or anything. I mean I just got her back…"

"_Nonsense, Troy. We're coming over to celebrate. And I want to see both of you happy with my own eyes. Oh, Jack I can't believe it!" _Lucille spoke to her husband while still on the phone. _"See you soon, honey. I love you! Bye!"_

Lucille hung up the phone before Troy could protest anymore. He felt great letting his parents know about his relationship, but also upset at the fact that they were coming over. Today was supposed to be a day for their family. A day for him, Gabriella, and Caleb to spend together and make up for lost time. He loved his parents but they really didn't need to come over just because he and Gabriella had gotten back together.

"Hey, Baby? I've got some bad news…" Troy called as he stepped outside. Gabriella looked back at him, concern etched on her face.

"Bad news? What's wrong?" she asked, her brow furrowed. Caleb continued to play happily with his trucks.

"I…kind of told my mom we were back together, and she insisted on coming over…right now." Troy muttered guiltily.

Gabriella giggled, standing up and brushing the sand off of her legs. "That's fine, Troy. I should probably tell my mom what's going on."

The brunette lifted her son out of the sand box and hoisted him onto her hip. "Come on, hotshot. We're going to go change…"

"What did you just call him?" Troy looked at Gabriella, frozen and shocked.

"Excuse me?" She asked confused, her heart beginning to race at the intense look Troy was giving her.

"Caleb. What did you just call Caleb?" Troy asked slowly.

Gabriella was thoroughly confused by Troy's reaction. "I called him hotshot. Is that bad?" she questioned carefully, wondering why Troy looked so serious.

"No…you just…you haven't called him that since before the accident. You always used to call him that…" Troy's expression started to take on one of hope. "Do you think -"

"I'm not getting my memory back, Troy. Drop it," Gabriella said harshly and walked right past Troy into the house without another word. The last thing she wanted to bring up was her memory. Not when she was finally happy with Troy. She didn't need to be reminded of how she wasn't the same person she used to be.

"Alright, Caleb. Let's get you a clean t-shirt. How about your Power Rangers one? Is that okay?" Gabriella asked her toddler after setting him down on his racecar bed.

"I want Daddy's shirt," Caleb bounced excitedly on the edge of his bed.

"Honey you wore that yesterday to the basketball game. How about Ninja Turtles?"

"Okay," Caleb agreed and shrugged on the tiny green shirt before plopping down on the ground and beginning to assemble a couple of building blocks he had left on the floor. His tiny eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Gabriella, I didn't mean to bring up the memory issue. That was inconsiderate. It just took me by surprise, that's all. I'm sorry," Troy muttered from where he was leaning against the doorway to Caleb's room.

The brunette sighed, running a hand through her curls. "No, I'm sorry for overreacting. But…we just got back together. I wanted to at least have a couple of days where we could just enjoy being together – you and me – the post-memory loss Gabriella. Rather than thinking about the pre-memory loss Gabriella. I explained it to you last night, Troy. I'm having a very hard time sorting through that concept."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I want to enjoy being with you, too. I'm so happy…" Troy said honestly, crossing the room to take Gabriella in his arms. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

"It's okay," Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy's waist. "It must be the pregnancy hormones. I love you, Troy. I really do…"

"Mmmm. I love you, too." He whispered, kissing the skin just below her ear.

Just as Troy was about to give Gabriella a sweet kiss, the doorbell rang loudly throughout the house.

"That would be my parents…" Troy's head slumped onto Gabriella's shoulder in defeat and she giggled. "Tonight, Baby. I can't wait…"

"Tonight," she agreed in a whisper, sneaking a small peck on the lips from him before he left to go answer the door.

Lucille and Jack turned out to be a great addition to the afternoon. Upon seeing Gabriella, Lucille nearly burst into tears and hugged her daughter-in-law tightly. Jack gave her a big hug too, and told her how happy he was that she and Troy finally figured out their situation. It was an afternoon of celebration, and Lucille couldn't control herself when Troy affectionately touched Gabriella or gave her a sweet kiss when he thought his parents weren't looking. It would take some getting used to, but Gabriella enjoyed being able to be affectionate with Troy any time she wanted, even in public.

She also enjoyed teasing him, too. Like now, when they were in the kitchen alone and Lucille and Jack were in the living room with Caleb.

"Gabriella where did you put the salsa? I can't seem to find it…" Troy muttered, looking around the kitchen counters.

He looked so hot when he was all serious, looking for salsa. Gabriella grinned and stood behind him, pressing herself against his back as she pointed to the dish right in front of him.

"It's right there," she whispered, internally cheering as Troy swallowed.

"Oh…uh, thanks," He muttered, the husky tone of his voice letting Gabriella know that she was succeeding in seducing him.

"No problem," the brunette lightly touched Troy's side as she stepped away from him and walked to the opposite side of the counter, leaning down low and putting her cleavage in Troy's plain sight. "Is that all? Everyone has drinks, right?"

Troy stood speechless for a moment, his mouth hanging open and his eyes focused on her breasts. "Um…I…I don't…er…yeah. Drinks. Everyone has them."

"Good," Gabriella said cheerfully, grabbing the spoon for the salsa off the counter and "accidentally" dropping it right in front of her as Troy was following her out of the kitchen. Gabriella bent down slowly to pick up the spoon, smiling once more as Troy's breath hitched.

Suddenly, the spoon was ripped out of her hand and the salsa was set on the counter with a loud clash and Gabriella was pushed up against the wall, Troy's body pinning her so that she couldn't move.

"Do you want me to take you right here? Jesus, Gab, you're killing me," he said breathlessly as he rolled his hips against hers, making her moan.

"Troy! Oh my – okay. I'll stop. I'll stop I promise. Holy, OH!"

Troy's lips silenced Gabriella's cries as he moved his hands expertly across her body. He tangled his hand in her hair and continued to press his lips urgently against hers.

"Shhhh... Baby my parents are here. We should wait for tonight…" he muttered against the skin of her neck as he pressed a sweet kiss there.

Gabriella nodded and Troy released her from the wall, stepping back to briefly adjust his pants as Gabriella looked on, blushing.

"Sorry…" she muttered.

"That's twice today, Gab. You are really going to pay for it later…" Troy grinned, though she could tell he was frustrated. "Come on, let's eat some freaking salsa."

* * *

"So, Gabriella, are you excited to find out the sex of the baby?" Lucille asked, sipping on her tea.

"Yeah. I can't wait. I'll find out in about another month and a half or so."

"What do you think it is?" Jack questioned curiously.

Troy turned his head to look at the radiant brunette sitting next to him on the couch. She returned his gaze. The gender wasn't something they had specifically thought about. After all, Troy had just found out about the baby four days ago.

"Um…I don't know. It probably would be easier to guess if I remembered what carrying Caleb was like, but…I really couldn't say. I just hope it's healthy, especially because Troy and I didn't exactly plan for it…"

"I'm sure the baby will be just fine, Gabriella. You've done a wonderful job taking care of yourself," Lucille complimented just as Caleb drove his electric car into the room. The toddler stopped in his tracks as all four adults looked at him.

"Baby? I'm not a baby!" He exclaimed, and Troy and Gabriella immediately shared a look of concern.

"Should we tell him?" Gabriella whispered as Caleb looked expectantly at his parents.

Troy glanced at his son before nodding. "Yeah, he's going to know eventually. I'll deal with him if he takes it badly."

Gabriella let out a sigh. "Here goes…" she whispered, leaning her head on her husband's shoulder. "Come here, honey. Daddy and I need to tell you something."

Caleb trotted over to the couch and scrambled onto his fathers lap, looking intently at his mom.

"In September, you are going to have…a little baby brother or sister," Gabriella said gently, watching the toddler's face carefully as he looked at her with wide eyes.

"Weally?" he asked softly, not blinking.

"Really," Gabriella nodded.

"A bwother or sister?"

"A brother or sister…"

"YAY!" Caleb screeched. He jumped off of Troy's lap and bounced up and down on the floor, his little hands in fists of excitement. "I wanna little bwother! I wanna little bwother!"

Troy laughed at his toddler, and soon enough all four adults were entranced by the little boy's big plans for his little sibling. Needless to say, Troy and Gabriella were grateful that their son took the new addition to the family so well.

Midway through Caleb's life plans, the phone rang and Gabriella offered to answer it so that Troy could keep talking with his parents. She excused herself from the room and sat at the counter in the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"_Gabriella. It's Michael. Is this a good time to talk?"_

"Sure. I have a few minutes. What's up?"

"_Well, after our dinner a couple of days ago I decided to look over some of the work you have been doing the past couple of weeks, and I have to say I am very disappointed with the amount of work you have done for the company. The quality is always excellent, don't get me wrong, but you're very behind on tasks that have been assigned to you."_

"Michael, I understand that I have been behind lately, but I told you the situation with my divorce has been very stressful and time consuming. That's not an issue anymore, though. So I should be able to get those projects finished and stay up to date more. I thought you said you understood my situation at dinner the other night?" Gabriella asked, confused. She didn't like the direction this conversation was headed.

"_I understand that. But after I looked over the work you have been doing, I also checked on the amount of days you have not even come into the office. I was appalled. You're averaging less than four days a week at the office. How are you supposed to get anything accomplished if you're never here?"_

"Michael, like I said before it won't be an issue anymore. I'm really sorry about not coming in lately, but I work really hard on my assignments when I'm in the office. If I remember correctly, I'm only behind on one of them. Everything else is up to date…"

"_Yes, Gabriella. But you should not be behind on anything. I feel I have been very understanding about your situation since your accident, and you were allowed sufficient time to recover. But the subsequent issues in your life are not included in the allotted leave time. I need to know I have an employee that is dedicated to their job and the company. I need an employee who actually comes into the office."_

Gabriella ran a hand through her hair, blowing out air in frustration.

"I understand, Michael. And that is a completely legitimate point. I do care about my job and the company. I'm sorry it's been taking the backseat in my life lately. That will change, I promise."

"_Gabriella, I'm sorry but I can't go by your word anymore. I need someone reliable. And right now you're not that person. I'm sorry to say, but you're fired. Your office supplies will be boxed up for you and waiting at the reception desk whenever you would like to pick them up."_

"What! Michael, no! I _know_ I haven't been reliable since the accident, but I'm a hard worker. I will catch up. I'm willing to do anything, please. I love my job…" Gabriella pleaded, her heart racing in fear.

"_I'm sorry, Gabriella. It was nice working with you. Remember, you're things will be at the reception desk. Have a nice day. Goodbye."_

"Wait, Michael!" Gabriella protested, only to hear a dial tone. She clicked the phone off and set it on the counter, staring at nothing. She couldn't believe she was fired from her job. She loved working at NGI. What was she supposed to do without a job now? It took all but thirty seconds until the tears started to flow down her face.

Gabriella quickly wiped them away and walked out of the kitchen and past the guests in the living room without saying a word. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she heard Troy call her name with concern in his tone, but she ran up to her room and shut the door, sobs overtaking her as she collapsed on the king-sized bed.

It was only moments later that there was a soft knock on the door. It opened and shut quietly before Gabriella heard footsteps slowly walk over to the bed and felt the weight of her husband as he sat beside her and began to rub her back.

"Hey, Baby. What's wrong?" He asked gently, kicking off his shoes and maneuvering himself onto the bed, pulling the brunette into his arms.

Gabriella sniffled and looked up at him with teary eyes, shaking her head.

It killed Troy to see his wife like this. Especially after they had just had such a wonderful day. "I'm here whenever you want to talk, okay?"

"Troy…" Gabriella muttered, utterly devastated. "I lost my job…"

Troy's hand stilled its circular pattern on her back as he looked at her in shock before propping himself up on his right elbow.

"What? Why?"

"Because I've been missing too many days of work and I'm not a reliable employee," she whispered as another tear trickled down her face.

Troy blew out some air, feeling helpless.

"I'm so sorry, Gabriella. I shouldn't have asked you to take today off of work. I wasn't thinking…"

"No, Troy. Don't pin this on yourself. This is my fault. I've been taking too many days off to deal with the divorce and taking care of Caleb that I haven't been able to keep up with my job. Michael was right to fire me. It just hurts…" Gabriella lamented.

Troy's eyes turned from gentle and sorrowful to blazing with anger. "Michael fired you? That son-of-a-bitch!" Troy seethed.

"Troy, please. Just drop it. Michael's out of the picture now…" Gabriella wrapped her arms around her husband, as if she was the one comforting him and not the other way around.

"Thank God for that. I hate that guy…" Troy muttered. "Are you going to be okay?" Troy asked, cupping Gabriella's tear-stained cheek in his hand.

She nodded slowly. "I will be. It's just a shock. I hate the idea of not having a job."

"Gab, don't be worried about that. You know you don't need to work. We're fine financially. You can take as long as you want finding a new job. In fact, if I can make a suggestion without upsetting you, I think you should wait to start a new job until after the baby is born. Maybe just take a year off of work. You already have had so much stress while carrying this baby, I don't want the added stress of looking for a job to cause anything bad to happen…" Troy pleaded in a soft voice.

Gabriella sighed, pressing he cheek against Troy's chest. "I'll think about it. That phone call was just an awful way to end what would've been the first good day I've had in a long time. I'm sorry for moping. We should probably go back downstairs to your parents…"

Troy shook his head, pushing Gabriella onto her back and flipping himself on top of her. "Parents are gone, Baby. They took Caleb for the night, too. So we're all alone with five hours until I have to leave for the airport. And you're feeling bad, so I'm going to make you feel better. Sound like a plan?"

Gabriella felt herself smile at her husband's excited expression, but then remembered what her son had said to her that morning.

"Is Caleb okay with staying with your parents? After what he said this morning I don't want him to think we're neglecting him…" Gabriella expressed her concern, her brow furrowing in worry.

"He said he wanted to go with them. Believe me, I asked him to stay here but he said he didn't want to. I think he's a little too excited about getting a new sibling," Troy chuckled before he pressed a gentle kiss to Gabriella's cheek.

"So it's just us, then? For the rest of the night?" she asked, slipping her hands behind his back and up over his shoulders.

"Yeah, Baby. It's just you and me tonight. Finally…"

* * *

**Shorter chapter, but I thought I'd put in some fluff after so much drama. Next chapter will be out soon – probably in less than a month because the school year's over the third week in May. Hope this one didn't disappoint!**

**Next Chapter:**

Baby's gender is revealed!

A series of events cause unstoppable flashbacks for Gabriella. Could they be leading to something bigger?


	24. Resurface  Part 1

**It's summer! And here is the next installment of the Road Not Taken. This chapter was a MONSTER, so I had to split it up into 4 different parts! Look for the second part on Monday, the third part on Wednesday, and the fourth part on Friday. There's a lot of stuff going on. I'm really excited to see what you guys think… **

**As always, thanks so much for reading! :)**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 24: Resurface (Part 1)**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

One minute.

60 seconds.

Such a small amount of time, yet such big potential.

A lot can happen in a minute.

While some wish for the time to slow, hoping their treasured moment will never end, others beg for it to be over – pleading for the time to pass.

Regardless, sixty seconds is sixty seconds. It the same amount of time any way you look at it.

In sixty seconds, someone's entire life can be changed.

In sixty seconds, everything that once was important can disappear instantly.

In sixty seconds, anniversary plans can be thrown out the window.

All it takes is sixty seconds to completely turn someone's life upside down.

Sixty seconds to destroy … so much longer to rebuild.

* * *

"Mommy! Come ON! I wanna see Daddy!"

Caleb bounced up and down energetically on the couch, waiting for his mother to turn on the television so he could see his daddy play in the second game of the Redhawks' playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.

"MOMMY!"

"I'm coming, Caleb. One second sweetie," Gabriella said in a calming voice as she walked into the living room moments later, turning on the TV and flipping to ESPN before settling down on the couch next to Caleb. "You need to learn to be a little more patient, Caleb. The game doesn't start for another ten minutes."

"I tink you're just slow. 'Cause you're fat!" Caleb giggled in his high-pitched voice, clutching his stomach.

Gabriella took a deep breath as she felt tears rush to her eyes, trying to calm herself down. These pregnancy hormones sucked. She was getting way too sensitive about the very noticeable bump she now carried around.

Gabriella closed her eyes and tried to remember her discussion with Troy a month ago when she had first "popped".

"_Baby! I'm home. And I brought dinner!" Troy called out from the foyer as he walked into the kitchen. _

_Gabriella stood behind the bar counter of the kitchen, a shocked expression on her face. Upon seeing Troy's proud smirk as he set down the food, she flashed him a shy smile. _

"_You're home early…" she muttered, trying to keep the absolute fear out of her voice. _

"_Yeah, we made great time in the air and…what's wrong, Gab? You look nervous…are you okay?" Troy asked, completely forgetting about the food and concerned about his wife. _

"_Yeah. I'm fine, Troy. Are you going to unpack your stuff now?" Gabriella asked curiously, trying to divert his attention to anything other than her. _

"_Uh…well, I thought I could eat dinner with you. But if you don't want me to…" Troy suggested curiously, wondering why his wife was so jumpy. _

"_No! Troy of course I want you to eat with me. And that was so sweet of you to pick up dinner, but…I think we should unpack your stuff first. Why don't I go unpack your suitcase and you can get started on dinner. I'll join you in 5 minutes, okay?" Gabriella moved quickly – almost at a jog – from behind the bar counter and into the foyer before Troy could respond. _

"_Gabriella!" Troy called out and the brunette sped up, only to see her husband run in front of her and stop her, placing his hands on her shoulders to prevent her from moving. _

"_Baby, what's wrong? Why are you running away from me?" Troy asked desperately, searching her eyes for some kind of answer. _

"_I'm not running away from you, Troy. Sorry, I just wanted to…" Gabriella watched as Troy's eyebrows rose expectantly. _

"_Honestly, Gab? Remember, we said we weren't going to hide our feelings anymore. Not after what we went through with our relationship because of it…" He said quietly, rubbing his hands up and down her arms in attempt to comfort her. _

"_I just wanted to…put on a hoodie before you got back. But I didn't know you were coming home early so I didn't have time," Gabriella sighed, looking anywhere but up at her husband's eyes. However, the brunette found it especially difficult when Troy's hands cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. _

_He was so utterly confused that Gabriella had to hold in a giggle. But nonetheless, being the gentleman that he was, he flashed her a quick, sympathetic smile. _

"_Baby I don't care what you're wearing. This shirt looks great on you. Why would you want to change? You're beautiful just the way you are – you don't need to do anything extra for me…" Troy mumbled, bringing Gabriella into his arms. _

_And although that was the absolute last thing she wanted to happen at that moment, Gabriella found herself melting into her husband's embrace. He had the most amazing way of comforting her. _

_Suddenly, after pulling Gabriella closer for a moment, Troy froze, releasing his wife and looking at her with big eyes and a smile that grew bigger by the second. _

_Gabriella sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I wanted to change because while you were gone on your away game trip…I kind of popped," the brunette mumbled. _

"_You're showing? Gabriella, that's great!" Troy gushed excitedly, immediately placing his hands on the defined bump sticking out of Gabriella. He surprised her by kneeling down on the floor and lifting up her shirt before kissing the bump reverently. _

"_You are so gorgeous, baby. You don't need to hide from me. I love you so much, and the fact that you're carrying my child is so sexy – you have no idea," Troy cooed, standing up and pulling Gabriella into his arms once again. _

"_I just hate feeling fat…" Gabriella muttered, but her face broke out in a smile upon seeing her husband's reaction to her recent weight gain. She hadn't been sure about how he would feel, but he always seemed to surprise her. _

"_Gab, you're not fat. You've got another person growing inside of you. You're going to gain weight, babe. And I'm going to be here to tell you how gorgeous you are any time you start to feel self-conscious. I love you so much…" Troy murmured, kissing her forehead gently. _

"_Now, how about you give me a proper welcome home?" Troy grinned mischievously, and Gabriella giggled before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him fiercely. It had only been a week, but she still missed him a great deal._

"_Mmmm… that's a good start. Now how about I pick up my beautiful, gorgeous, sexy pregnant wife and carry her upstairs where I can show her how very much I missed her these past couple of weeks," Troy grinned, moving his arms to sweep Gabriella off her feet. _

_Before he could do so, she backed out of his reach with a smirk on her face. _

"_Mr. Bolton, if I recall a very caring and sweet husband brought home dinner for his wife, and I for one believe the wife would like to enjoy her dinner before properly welcoming her husband home."_

_Troy groaned, but flashed her the most brilliant smile that momentarily took her breath away. "Fine. Let's eat." _

_Troy walked over towards Gabriella and pulled her close once more, quickly putting a panty-dropping kiss on her lips before walking away toward the kitchen. _

_Damn, he was too desirable for his own good._

It was absolutely ridiculous how much life could change in a mere two months. After Gabriella and Troy finally got back together, everything else seemed to fall in to place. Although Gabriella was still upset about losing her job, she didn't allow herself to think of it as an entirely negative thing. Now that she didn't have to work, Caleb didn't need to go to daycare, and she could spend more time playing with her first-born. As far as the new addition to the family, Gabriella found herself with more time to plan and prepare for the baby. Although she couldn't completely plan out the room without knowing the gender, she did focus on reorganizing one of the guest rooms to fit baby furniture and a crib.

Caleb, of course, was completely curious about the new baby. He constantly followed Gabriella around, asking questions about how often he could play with the newborn, if he could share a bedroom with his new sibling, and if he could show the baby all of his cool toys.

Gabriella loved that Caleb took the idea of a sibling so greatly. She had been a little nervous about his reaction, but ever since she and Troy told him the day after they finally got back together, Caleb had been ecstatic.

Not only was Gabriella finding herself enjoying her second pregnancy, but Taylor was as well. For a woman who had wanted to wait a little longer for kids, Taylor was sure being obsessive over her first baby. Chad was, too, of course. But Troy had tried to show him the ropes of being a dad a little bit and gave him hints about the mom's mood swings and disgusting cravings. The new parents were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their son later in the year.

Troy continued to amaze Gabriella every day. She never thought any kind of romantic relationship could be as good as hers with Troy was, and she continually had to pinch herself, just to make sure that her reality wasn't a dream.

The amount of time that Troy had to devote to basketball had increased substantially in the month of March, and now, at the end of April, Gabriella hardly ever saw him since the playoffs had started. Troy's game had gotten so much better after he settled all of the issues in his personal life that he led the Redhawks to their first ever playoff experience, and all of New Mexico was thrilled. Troy was the superstar in Albuquerque now, with his face on billboards and commercials of him on TV. It always startled Gabriella when she heard her husband's voice talking about the new Gillette razor, especially when Troy was away. Hearing his voice made her miss him even more, but it also helped her stay connected.

Although Troy was away a lot, he made sure to make up for it. Whenever he was home, he was _really_ home. Gabriella could tell he still thought about basketball and the stresses that came with it, but it was always a short distraction before he completely returned to her – mind and body.

Even though Gabriella still didn't remember him, their relationship was fantastic. Troy would cook her dinners when he was home, give her massages, take naps with her, and show her affection at every moment possible. Gabriella's libido seemed to have calmed down slightly, but although they were no longer heading to the bedroom every single time Troy walked in the door, Troy did coax her into bed as often as possible, and Gabriella wouldn't have it any other way.

She absolutely loved waking up to gentle kisses being pressed to her shoulder as the arms around her waist pulled her tightly against the warm body behind her. She had never felt safer than when she was with Troy. The nights spent alone, which were now becoming more frequent, were painful. She craved his presence and the feel of his arms around her. Troy always made it a point to tell her how much he loved her every time they were together, and how grateful he was that things worked themselves out.

Gabriella tried her best the past two months to slowly gain Troy's trust back. He claimed that he trusted her with his life, but she noticed small things he said or did that told her he was still apprehensive that she would leave him again. Like in the mornings when she made a move to get out of bed to wake Caleb, Troy would tighten his arms around her just a little bit before gently removing them. And when he left for a road trip, he would cup her cheek in his hand and stare down into her eyes, silently pleading for her to be there when he got back.

Sometimes it seemed like Troy was just waiting for something to happen that would shake up their perfect life, and because of that Gabriella could tell that he always soaked up and appreciated every little moment of it.

"It's starting, it's starting!" Caleb cheered, beginning to crawl into Gabriella's lap before he realized he didn't want to compete with her baby bump. Caleb pouted and sat next to her – as close as possible, snuggling up tightly to her side.

Gabriella loved her son so much. She couldn't wait to meet her new child and feel that same connection to them.

Troy briefly showed up on the television screen, shaking hands with some of the Suns players before the tip-off. She felt her stomach clench, a physical sign of how much she missed him. Sure, he still called every night, but their conversations were short. She always preferred to feel his muscular arms wrap around her and show her how much he loved her, rather than hear him say it over the phone.

Gabriella watched the game absentmindedly when Troy wasn't on the court. She found her thoughts drifting to later that afternoon, when she would finally find out the sex of the baby. Troy had been devastated, obviously, that he couldn't make it. But Gabriella had already canceled the appointment three times because of his crazy schedule, and she couldn't cancel anymore. Troy had expressed his frustration on the phone the night before, making Gabriella promise that she would tell him right away after she found out. He hated missing out on any aspect of the pregnancy because of his job, and Gabriella felt awful for going without him, but it was something that needed to be done and couldn't keep getting pushed back.

She was so excited to find out the gender of her baby. Every time she thought about it, she couldn't picture a boy or a girl – just a gender-neutral baby. It frustrated Gabriella that she didn't really have a preference either way. The brunette had subtly asked Troy a few times what gender he preferred, but after a short pause he always averted his eyes and said it didn't matter, as long as it was healthy.

Gabriella knew better than to take that answer seriously. She had no doubt that Troy actually wanted the baby to be healthy, but the couple of seconds it took him to answer the question was an indication that he actually did have a preference, he just didn't want Gabriella to know it.

The baby's gender quickly faded to the background of Gabriella's thoughts as her attention became focused on the basketball game. She could tell Troy was working so hard to pump up his team and get some good shots off. The Redhawks had lost to the Suns in the first game, so it was crucial that they won this second one to tie up the series.

And just over an hour later, that's exactly what happened. Troy and the Redhawks managed to pull away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Suns 19 to 8. Gabriella tried to get a glimpse of Troy as he headed into the visitor's locker room, pointing him out to Caleb who grinned and clapped his hands excitedly. Troy was that little boy's idol. It was adorable to see how much Caleb admired his daddy.

Gabriella shut the TV off and checked her cell phone. She had 20 minutes to get to the doctor's office.

"Alright, sweetie. Are you ready to see some pictures of the baby today?" Gabriella asked her son as she slowly bent down to pick him up in her arms.

Caleb nodded, burying his face in Gabriella's curls as she rested him on her hip. He was tired. After all the excitement of watching his daddy play basketball, Caleb was ready for a nap.

Gabriella kissed her son's forehead before grabbing her purse and leaving the house. She strapped Caleb in his car seat and he immediately dozed off, wearing and adorable expression on his face.

As Gabriella put the key in the ignition, she heard her cell phone beep.

"Of course…" she muttered as she opened the new text message from Troy.

_Well…?_

Gabriella shook her head and answered back that she hadn't been to the doctor yet. Troy must have been really anxious, seeing as his game only ended minutes before he sent her the message.

Getting to the hospital ten minutes before her appointment, Gabriella rushed into the waiting room with a sleeping Caleb on her hip and checked in before sitting down. A short while later, she found herself lying on a table in an exam room, reprimanding a now-awake Caleb for touching things he wasn't supposed to.

"Honey, please just sit down and keep your hands to yourself. If you can't do that we won't be able to get McDonald's after this, okay?"

Threatening to take away his chicken nuggets caused Caleb to immediately sit in his little chair quietly.

"Gabriella Bolton! Welcome! I see we are finally going to find out what you are having today!" the nurse walked in with a grin on her face. "Hi, Caleb! Look at you! You're so big! The last time I saw you was when you were a little baby, yourself!"

Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows as Caleb grinned shyly up at the nurse.

"Did you deliver my first baby?" she asked, curious as to how the nurse knew Caleb.

"No. I just did his first check up appointment. It's not easy to forget when your seeing Troy Bolton's first-born child," the nurse giggled.

"I'm Cassie, by the way. Annie, the nurse who did your first ultrasound, will be assisting you during the pregnancy. I'm filling in for her today because there was an emergency delivery she needed to help with."

"Nice to meet you, Cassie. " Gabriella smiled, laying back on the exam table and pulling up her shirt, exposing her pregnant belly.

Cassie dimmed the light in the room and started rubbing gel on Gabriella's stomach. Moments later the brunette was staring at a more developed picture of her baby on the screen.

Gabriella's heart started racing as the anticipation built.

"Okay. The gender looks pretty clear to me. And you wanted to know, right?" Cassie asked with a grin on her face.

"Yes. Definitely. I…yeah. I want to know," Gabriella said, stumbling over her words in anticipation.

"Well, you will be the proud mother of not only this adorable little boy over here…" Cassie ruffled Caleb's hair as he blushed. He was so shy sometimes. "…this September, but you will also be a mommy to a brand new baby girl."

Gabriella felt her heart rush with warmth. A baby girl? She was having a little girl? A girl who would play with dollies and want to wear dresses and love the color pink?

Suddenly, the brunette's head started to spin.

"_Alright, see that little thing right there?" _

_Troy and Gabriella's eyes eagerly swept the monitor to identify the object the nurse was pointing at. _

"_Uh…yeah, sure," Troy muttered, squeezing Gabriella's hand even tighter. Troy appeared to be even more nervous than she was to find out the sex of the baby. _

_The nurse laughed gently, "Mr. Bolton, that tiny little thing that I just pointed to allows me to determine the sex of the baby." _

"_And…?" Troy prompted, suddenly shaking his knee in anticipation. _

"_Troy, honey. Calm down. It's just the gender, ok? Nothing to be nervous about," Gabriella ran her hand through Troy's hair, gently massaging the nape of his neck as he took a deep breath. _

"_And…you are going to be the proud parents of a beautiful, healthy, and probably incredibly athletic, baby boy!" The nurse cheered with a big smile on her face. _

_Gabriella felt her nerves fly out the window as a huge grin burst upon her face. A boy! A baby boy! A mini Troy! How cute would he be all dressed up like his daddy! And he would definitely want to play basketball to be just like his father. This was perfect! She and Troy were having a baby boy!_

"_Troy! Can you believe it! We're having a boy! A baby boy!" Gabriella exclaimed as she finally looked away from the monitor and focused her gaze on her husband, who was suddenly sitting very still. _

_Once he felt her gaze on him, Troy looked up at Gabriella's face. She noticed he wasn't smiling, but quickly covered it up with an obviously fake grin. _

"_Is something wrong?" Gabriella asked, worried that Troy was having second thoughts about having a child this young. That couldn't happen, especially when he had coerced her into having a kid in the first place!_

"_No, Baby. I'm just in shock. I can't believe it," Troy said sincerely, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. _

"_I know," Gabriella comforted, "but we're going to be this baby boy's parents, and he's going to be a part of both of us. Oh, I can't wait to meet him!" _

_Troy's smile widened a bit, but Gabriella could tell it still took a lot of effort on his part to keep it there. _

"_Yeah. Me too…" _

"Mrs. Bolton? Mrs. Bolton…"

Gabriella shook her head slowly back and forth, trying to make sense of the images that had just flooded her head.

"I'm not getting a wittle bwother?" Caleb asked in his high-pitched toddler voice. Gabriella's attention was shifted from deciphering her weird flashback to her toddler in an instant. She knew that tone of voice, and what would follow was never good.

"No, Caleb. You're getting a little sister. You'll be her big brother!" Cassie said cheerfully, handing Gabriella pictures of the ultrasound before cleaning off the gel from her stomach. "Thanks for coming in Mrs. Bolton. We already have your next appointment scheduled, so you're good to go. Call if you need anything!"

Cassie quickly walked out of the room, leaving Gabriella warily staring at her toddler's wobbling bottom lip.

Within seconds, the sobs came ringing, loud and heart wrenching. Tears streamed down Caleb's face as he tried to suck in air.

"Honey! What's wrong, baby. You're still going to be a big brother!" Gabriella cooed, picking up her first-born and cuddling him to her.

"I don't wanna sister! I wanna bwother!" Caleb cried, burying his head in Gabriella's chest. The brunette sighed. She had a weird feeling that this was not going to be the only negative reaction to the baby's gender. If her flashback held any clue to how Troy would react, it was not going to be good.

"Come on, baby. Lets go home."

Gabriella carried her sobbing toddler quickly through the lobby and out into the parking lot. After she buckled him into his car seat his sobs seemed to have quieted down. It was then that her cell rang.

"Hello?" She picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

"_Hey, Gab. Are you done with your appointment?"_

Troy's soothing voice floated over the phone, and Gabriella found herself desperately wishing he was there to give her a hug right now. That's all she needed – a big hug from Troy and she would be fine. She just wanted to be in his arms.

"Yeah, but I can't talk right now. Caleb is - " a loud wail interrupted Gabriella "…he's just really upset. I don't think he understood what it meant to have a sibling. I'm really sorry, Troy. I can't talk right now. Let me know when you land."

"_What? Baby, what's going on? Can I talk to Caleb?" _

"He's still crying. Troy, I'm exhausted. I'm just going to get him some dinner and then put him to bed. I might not be able to wait up for you tonight."

"_Gab, I'm so sorry. I want to be there right now…so badly. I can't even explain it to you. We're boarding the plane in about two hours, so I should be home by ten or eleven. I'm sorry Caleb's freaking out on you. I love you so much, Gab. We can talk about the appointment later. Good luck with Caleb." _

Gabriella sighed, running a hand through her curls. Troy sounded just as distraught as she did. It was stupid of them to think their son would be perfectly fine with a new baby. They should've known better.

"Thanks, Troy. See you soon…"

"_Bye, Gab." _

"Bye."

Gabriella hung up the phone and turned around to face her three year-old.

"Caleb, you only get McDonald's if you stop crying, okay? Can you calm down and stop crying for me?"

Caleb nodded, and his sobs turned into sniffles as Gabriella grabbed a Kleenex out of her purse and wiped away his tears.

"That's better, sweetie. Let's get you some chicken nuggets," she smiled.

Just as Gabriella went to start the car, she realized that she had forgotten a very, very important thing. Diving for her purse, she dug out her cell phone and had it dialing a familiar number faster than she could think. Forgetting something as simple as this was the reason why Troy still had a hard time trusting her. She was so stupid. How could she forget?

"_Gabriella? Is everything okay?"_

"Troy, I forgot to tell you something."

"_What's that, babe?"_

"I love you, too."

Gabriella heard Troy's deep sigh come from the other end of the phone, and a soft chuckle followed.

"_Oh, Gab. You know that means the world to me. I love more than anything. I'll talk to you later, Baby."_

"Alright. Love you, Troy. Bye."

It was something so simple it seemed insignificant, but every time Gabriella forgot to say that she loved Troy, she knew his confidence in their relationship took a hit. He was still very fragile after everything she had put him through, and anything Gabriella could do to make it better was a top priority.

It also helped that every time she told him she loved him he would get this childish grin on his face and plant her with a searing kiss that left her breathless. That man did know how to use his mouth.

After grabbing Caleb his dinner Gabriella headed home and watched Blues Clues with her toddler. She briefly fell asleep, completely exhausted from simply going to a doctor's appointment and dealing with Caleb's tantrum. She hated this part of being pregnant. She used to be so in shape and fit.

Gabriella tucked Caleb in an hour later, and against her better judgment, didn't reprimand him for his behavior earlier that day. She was just too emotionally exhausted to even think about him throwing another tantrum.

Gabriella walked into her room and slipped into her pajamas, tugging her now almost-too-tight shirt over her protruding belly. As she pulled the cool covers over her body, Gabriella felt tears pool in her eyes, and soon they were streaming down her cheeks. The brunette flipped on her tableside lamp as she sat up in bed.

She was having a baby girl.

A little girl.

"Oh my God…" Gabriella smiled, appreciating how all of the negative aspects of her day just disappeared as she rubbed her hands over her stomach.

Her little girl was growing in there. The little girl that she and Troy made.

This little girl was so special. She was conceived amidst horrible conditions in her parents' relationship. She was responsible for holding her and Troy together when they came so close to falling apart.

"My baby girl…" Gabriella whispered to her stomach. "I love you so much sweetie. You're going to be so beautiful, honey."

Was she going to have brown hair like Gabriella's, or sandy hair like her brother and Troy? Would she have curly hair or straight hair? Would her little girl like to shop and sing, or would she want to play sports like her daddy? Would she want to do both?

Gabriella sat up in bed, rubbing her stomach for a long time. She let herself soak in the moment, knowing her daughter was going to make days like today worth going through.

Gabriella's attention was torn from her baby bump to the master bedroom door as it creaked open and her husband slipped inside.

Troy set his duffel bag down next to his feet at stared at her with soft, tired eyes. He noticed the tear stains on her face and furrowed his eyebrows, slipping off his shoes and undoing his tie as he walked over to the bed and leaned down to give Gabriella a hug.

"Hey, Gab." He sighed, burying his face in her curls for a brief moment. "I missed you a lot."

Gabriella smiled, feeling safe and secure for the first time since Troy left. "I missed you, too."

Troy grinned, but stepped away from Gabriella and into the bathroom to change out of his clothes. Moments later, he reappeared in gym shorts and a t-shirt.

After turning off her bedside lamp, Gabriella watched as Troy slipped underneath the covers and immediately encircled his arms around her waist, pulling her back to settle against his chest. She sighed in content as he pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had such a shitty day," Troy muttered, moving his lips to kiss Gabriella's neck.

"Mmmmm…it seems to have gotten much better…" Gabriella mumbled into her pillow, feeling her body relax and unwind as Troy held her tightly.

Troy chuckled at Gabriella's reaction, nuzzling his face in her neck once more. "So…I've been patient all day, Baby. Are you planning on sharing what you found out at the doctor's with me?"

Gabriella's eyes shot open as she remembered Troy didn't know about the sex yet. Her calm demeanor quickly changed into a tense one. What if Troy reacted badly?

"Well… I was thinking, maybe I should keep it a surprise for you. You know, keep you guessing until September," Gabriella forced a grin on her face as her nerves still acted up.

"A surprise? Please tell me you're joking, Gab." Troy chuckled, flipping Gabriella over so that she was staring at him, face to face.

"No. I think it would be sweet. Don't you?" Gabriella giggled as Troy's face took on an expression of disbelief and he rotated her so she was sitting on top of him. With her growing baby bump he had been reluctant to pin her beneath him.

"Absolutely not, Gabriella. That's not fair. Just 'cause I knocked you up and am not carrying around extra weight for nine months doesn't mean I didn't have a part in making this baby," Troy lectured with a smile on his face as his hands found their way to Gabriella's hips.

"Your part? You mean the three minutes you put in to this back in December?" Gabriella giggled as Troy's eyes widened in shock.

"Gabriella! I'm shocked you would make the assumption that I haven't been contributing to this pregnancy! If I recall, I had been putting in months of effort trying to seduce you. So clearly, I deserve to know the sex of the baby."

Gabriella smiled brightly before leaning down and kissing her husband squarely on the lips. Troy pulled her tighter against him as he groaned, fisting his hand in her hair and begging for entrance with his tongue. Gabriella felt the tension leave her as she kissed her husband for the first time since he returned from Phoenix, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers.

Once they were out of breath, Troy began to press small kisses up and down Gabriella's neck and behind her ear.

"Well…?" he muttered in between pecks.

"Sorry, Baby. But I'm still going to keep it a surprise," Gabriella gave Troy a small smile as he stared back at her in disbelief. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and rolled herself off of him, settling beneath the covers and turning on her side.

Not even a minute later Troy's tableside lamp turned on and she felt him sit up in bed. Curious as to what he was doing, Gabriella rolled on her back to look over at him, and what she saw shocked her beyond belief.

Troy stared out the window at the night sky as his eyes screamed that he was in deep emotional pain.

_Shit_. Gabriella thought. He may have acted like he was joking but knowing the sex of their baby was really important to him.

Gabriella maneuvered herself so she was facing Troy, and looked up at him questioningly. Feeling her gaze, Troy looked over at her, causing Gabriella's stomach to clench when she saw the dejection in her husband's eyes.

"I wanted to be there _so_ _bad_, Gabi. The entire game, all I could think about was how I was missing an incredible moment of your pregnancy. I've never hated my job more…"

Gabriella stared up at her husband in shock. "Troy…"

"I don't mean to act like a child about this, but I just…I want to know. I don't want to keep guessing, Gab. _Please_ tell me, Baby. I'm begging."

Gabriella nodded, feeling her nerves rise up once more, but along with them came guilt. She shouldn't keep something like the sex of the baby from her husband.

"Why won't you tell me, Gab? What's going on?"

"I'm nervous about telling you," Gabriella whispered.

Troy wrapped his arms around his wife once more and pulled her to him, hugging her tightly as he settled back down into bed.

"Why does telling me make you nervous?" Troy asked quietly, unable to keep all of the hurt out of his voice.

"I don't want you to be disappointed. After Caleb's reaction today, I'm just a little wary of telling anyone," Gabriella mumbled, looking at the sheets beneath her.

Troy took a deep breath, and Gabriella looked up just in time to see his eyes close tightly.

"I…can't be disappointed about having a child with you, Gab. I will love this baby no matter if it's a boy or a girl. Either way, this is our child. I love it, just like a love you, and just like I love Caleb."

"What are you hoping to have?" Gabriella looked at Troy seriously, asking once again the question he seemed to skillfully avoid every time.

"I want…I just want a healthy baby," Troy mumbled.

"No you don't," Gabriella accused in a soft tone, earning a shocked stare from Troy. "I know you have an opinion, honey. You just won't tell me. I know the sex, and it's not going to change. So why don't you just tell me what you want? Even if that's not what I'm having, it's still good to get it off your chest."

Troy sighed, covering his eyes with his right arm.

"I want this baby with you, Gabriella. It really doesn't matter. If we're having another boy," Troy paused for a second, "he'll be just as perfect as Caleb. Maybe he'll have your brown hair and my blue eyes this time. And he'll be really smart and Caleb can be a great mentor for his little brother. The little guy will probably look up to his big brother and want to be just like him."

Gabriella felt herself start to smile as she watched her husband fantasize about having another boy.

"And if we're having a girl…" Troy's voice broke on the last word, and the realization hit Gabriella like a truck.

Of _course_ he wanted a girl. It made so much sense now.

Troy struggled to keep talking.

"…that would be pretty great, too." He finished, unable to look at her.

"You want a girl," Gabriella stated gently, rubbing her hand up and down Troy's arm. Her husband turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"No, Gab. It doesn't matter to me. Really…"

"You want a little girl, Troy," Gabriella interrupted his defense, feeling warmth rush through her once again as she realized Troy was going to be very happy with the sex of this baby.

"You want to have a baby girl. One that can be Daddy's little cheerleader. One that will sing and dance and will wear tiny little dresses and be protected by her big brother when she gets older. You want a baby girl that will grow up to excel in every aspect of her life. I know…I want that, too."

Troy continued to look deeply into Gabriella's eyes as he sighed, nodding his head slowly. Gabriella could tell that he was trying to keep a positive expression on his face.

"Please tell me we can try again in a few years…" Troy mumbled, pulling Gabriella close.

"Why do you think Caleb was so upset at the doctor's office today?" Gabriella asked, realizing Troy thought they were having another boy.

Troy pulled back to look at her, utterly confused. "I don't know. I thought he would be ecstatic about hearing he was getting a little brother."

"He probably would've reacted that way. I just think he wasn't prepared for the fact that he might be getting a little sister," Gabriella whispered, keeping her eyes locked with Troy's.

She watched as they widened a bit and he sat up straighter.

"What?"

"That's why he freaked out. But I think the idea will grow on him, don't you?"

Troy continued to stare at Gabriella, his mouth hanging open in shock. A few seconds passed by and he blinked rapidly.

"Gab…are you saying that…are we…are we having a girl?" Troy asked slowly, stumbling over his words.

Gabriella smiled brightly at her husband before gently nodding. "Yeah, Troy. It's a girl."

The smile that took over Troy's face momentarily blinded Gabriella, and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. It only took a few seconds for Gabriella to be assaulted with kisses. Troy pulled her tightly to him and pressed his lips everywhere at once. Finally, he pulled back to look at Gabriella's face.

"Gabi, we're having a baby girl…" he smiled, exuberance coming off of him in waves.

"I know, Troy. A little girl…" Gabriella sighed in content as Troy buried his face in her curls. He only allowed himself to nuzzle her neck for a moment before pulling back with a more serious expression.

"For the record, I would've been happy with a boy, too. Honestly, I…I know better now. It would've been different," Troy said, stroking Gabriella's cheek as she tried to make sense of what Troy had just told her.

_What would've been different? _

Suddenly, Gabriella forgot about place and time as her brain revealed another hidden memory…

_The low rumble of thunder woke Gabriella up from her pleasant sleep. It was the first time she had slept in her own bed since giving birth to her first child. Although she had been able to sleep better than she thought, the slightest sounds had her up and running to the room next door, eager to see if her baby boy was okay. She knew she was being paranoid, but she couldn't help it. She was a new mother. _

_Gabriella pulled back the covers of her king sized bed, noticing for the first time that her husband was not asleep next to her. She quickly rushed out of the room and peeked into the nursery to find both of her boys. _

_Her smile turned into a frown as she noticed her husband sitting on the chair by Caleb's crib – his head in his hands. Gabriella crept closer without a sound. When the moonlight hit Troy's face, her confusion turned into fear as she realized tears were in his eyes. _

"_Troy! What's wrong? Is it Caleb?" Gabriella whispered, panic clearly evident in her voice. She rushed over closer to the crib and peered down at her sleeping baby. He seemed to be fine. His little chest was rising up and down at a gentle, even pace and he wasn't crying…_

"_Caleb's fine, honey. Calm down," Troy smiled gently up at his wife. _

_Gabriella sat down on Troy's lap and he wrapped his arms around her stomach, resting his chin on her shoulder. They both stared down at their wonderful newborn son. _

"_What's wrong, Troy?" Gabriella asked softly, leaning her head against his. _

"_He's so perfect, Gab. Look at him. He's just…you and me. And he couldn't be more perfect…" _

"_I know," Gabriella grinned, turning her head to give Troy a quick kiss. _

_Both parents returned to staring at Caleb. Completely entranced by the tiny baby in front of them. _

"_What's so bad about our child being perfect, Troy?" Gabriella giggled quietly, holding on to one of her husband's hands in hers. _

"_I just…I can't believe that…" Troy's voice started to choke up. "I can't believe that I didn't - "_

"Gabriella? You okay?"

Gabriella blinked, staring up at her husband.

"Um…yeah. I'm fine, sorry. Just tired," Gabriella muttered, putting on a smile for her husband.

"Alright, Honey. Let's go to sleep."

Troy reached over and turned off his bedside lamp before snuggling in close to Gabriella.

"I'm so excited to meet our baby girl…" he whispered, moving a hand over her stomach.

"Me too," Gabriella mumbled before falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Part 2 out on Monday! Thanks for reading!**


	25. Resurface Part 2

**Thanks for all the reviews for part 1! Here's part 2, as promised! Part 3 out on Wednesday! :)**

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**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 24: Resurface (Part 2)**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

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"Hi, Caleb! How are you, sweetie?"

"I'm good Auntie Taylor! I'm gonna see Daddy pway basketball!"

Taylor giggled at the three year old before picking him up to give him a big hug. "I missed you, honey. I haven't seen you in a while," Taylor said, looking at Gabriella rather than Caleb.

Gabriella sighed, "I know. Things have been pretty crazy lately. I'm a horrible friend for not making more of an effort, Tay."

Taylor shrugged, setting Caleb down so her could crawl into his seat between his mother and "aunt".

The three were sitting four rows back from the court at game three of the Redhawks' series against the Suns. This game was crucial because whoever won it would be up 2 to 1.

The stadium began to fill as the two friends caught up with one another. It had been about three weeks since they had seen each other. Taylor had been busy with work and setting up her little boy's nursery while Gabriella had her hands full watching Caleb and spending what little time she could with Troy.

"So you had your doctor's appointment a couple of days ago, right?" Taylor questioned. "Did you find out what you're having?"

Gabriella nodded. "It was three days ago, and I did. Troy and I are having a girl!"

Gabriella loved the warm feeling she got whenever she said that. She was having a little girl. Thinking about it never got old.

"Awww! Really?" Taylor cooed, her face lighting up. "That's great, Gabriella! I hope I can have a girl someday. But right now I think this little boy will be enough for a while," Taylor smiled, placing a hand on her stomach.

Gabriella giggled, ruffling Caleb's hair with her hand. "I'm sure he will be if he's anything like this one."

Caleb's attention was completely devoted to watching his daddy warm-up, so Taylor took the opportunity to lean over and whisper in Gabriella's ear.

"Is he still taking the whole sibling thing okay?"

Gabriella closed her eyes momentarily before shaking her head.

"He's getting better, but he was really hoping for a brother. He threw a fit when he found out he was getting a sister. Troy and I had to have a long talk with him before he would stop crying about it."

Gabriella remembered the conversation she and her husband had had with their toddler two days before…

"_Gabriella, come here…" Troy whispered to his wife, who was washing her face in their master bathroom. _

_The brunette followed her husband out of their room and to the doorway of Caleb's. Gabriella gasped in surprise and shock as she watched her little three year-old throw clothes in his Bob the Builder duffel bag. _

"_What is he doing?" Gabriella whispered to Troy as she wrapped her arms around his torso tightly, afraid that she already knew the answer. _

"_He's packing his clothes so he can run away…" Troy mumbled sadly, letting out a deep sigh before kissing Gabriella on the top of her head. "I think we should talk to him about getting a sister." _

_Gabriella nodded in agreement, clutching Troy more tightly as she felt small tears prickle her eyes. She couldn't believe Caleb would want to run away from them. He meant the world to her. _

"_Hey, Buddy. Whatcha doin'?" Troy asked casually, not moving from his spot by the door. _

_Caleb glanced up at his parents, freezing for a moment, before he continued to stuff clothes in his duffel bag. _

"_Wunning away. I don't wanna sister…" Caleb pouted. _

_Gabriella let go of Troy and intertwined their hands as they walked into the room and sat down on Caleb's bed. _

"_You're running away because you don't want a sister? What if you were getting a brother? Would you still run away then?" Gabriella asked softly._

_Caleb stood still for a moment, looking seriously at his parents before his bottom lip began to wobble and he nodded his head. Tears streamed down his face as sobs rang out loud and clear._

"_I don't wanna sister or bwother! Cause then Mommy and Daddy won't care about me…" Caleb plopped down in the middle of the floor and continued to cry. _

_Troy held Gabriella back from comforting him, so the two parents remained on the bed. _

"_Caleb, bud, just because you're getting a little sister doesn't mean we're going to love you any less. We love you so much. You're the most important thing in the world to us," Troy said seriously, sadness encompassing him as he watched his toddler fall apart in front of him. _

"_We will always care about you, sweetie. Just like we will care about your sister. And you know what? Your little sister is going to love you so much," Gabriella comforted. _

_Suddenly, Caleb stopped crying, but looked up at his parents with obvious pain. Gabriella held her arms out for Caleb to come sit in her lap, but the little boy sprang to his feet and ran out into the hallway, taking the stairs at a breakneck speed for a toddler. _

_Troy immediately ran after him, scooping his son up on the second to last stair as Gabriella watched from the top. Her husband carried their toddler back upstairs and took him into the master bedroom, setting him on the bed. Gabriella followed and closed the door, just in case Caleb decided to make a run for it again. _

_Caleb started crying again as he reached up for his dad. Troy picked him up and the three year-old started crying into his father's shirt. _

_Gabriella and Troy shared a look as their son sniffled. Gabriella walked over and took the little boy out of Troy arms, squeezing him tightly as a few tears leaked from her eyes. _

"_Caleb, don't you _ever_ run away from your mommy or daddy _ever again_, okay? We would be absolutely devastated, sweetheart. Life isn't worth living without you here to share it with us…"_

_Gabriella looked sternly into her toddler's eyes, and he nodded. _

"_I know you don't want a sister, but you're getting one, whether you like it or not. So you should try to get used to the idea. We're going to love her just as much as we love you, and you are going to love her, too," Gabriella continued._

"_And Buddy, just because you're getting a sister now doesn't mean you can't get a brother in the future…" Troy interjected, earning an eyebrow raise from Gabriella. "That is, if your mother is willing to have another baby…" _

_Gabriella felt her heart melt as Troy silently pleaded with his eyes. He was so good at that. She knew, even though they would already have two children by September, he was bound to knock her up at least once more down the road. _

"_So can you stop being sad about getting a baby sister? It's not supposed to be sad…getting a sibling is supposed to be a good thing," Gabriella cooed to her toddler, kissing his chubby cheek. _

"_Okay, Mommy."_

"We're trying to slowly get him adjusted to his new sister. Yesterday we were out shopping and I had him pick out a pink stuffed animal for the baby. He actually had fun, debating whether or not it was girly enough," Gabriella giggled, kissing her toddler's hair.

"That's great, Gabriella. And I want to go baby shopping with you sometime soon. Even though we're shopping for different colors, we are going to have so much fun picking out all of the cute stuff they sell!"

Gabriella giggled at Taylor's enthusiasm, but truth be told, she couldn't wait either. She was so excited to browse through all of the little girl items. This baby was going to be one spoiled child.

The game started shortly after, and the Redhawks got off to a great start. The stadium was ridiculously loud as all the Redhawks fans cheered their hearts out for their favorite basketball team.

Gabriella loved watching how Troy fed off the energy of the crowd. He scored the first basket of the game off of an incredible steal. No matter how many times Gabriella watched him, she never ceased to be amazed at how incredibly talented Troy was. She wished she could remember if he was this good when they were dating in high school.

Only at halftime did the noise level quiet down a bit – at least enough for Gabriella and Taylor to talk to each other. Caleb was bouncing up and down in his seat from the excitement, munching on his popcorn in the process.

"Chad is doing phenomenal tonight," Gabriella complimented. Her husband's best friend had scored the second most points on the team.

"Yeah, he really is. He was telling me how he's been trying to step it up to get the Redhawks a good chance of advancing in the playoffs. He knows that being a bottom-seeded team it's a long shot, but he's determined to get a championship ring so he can show our son. I'm sure it will be the first thing he shows the baby after it's born… '_Look, son. Your daddy's a champion_,' "

Taylor and Gabriella giggled. As the players returned to the court for their brief warm-up before the second half, Gabriella noticed two women, probably in their early thirties, take seats in front of them. They both were wearing _Bolton_ jerseys and had a ridiculous amount of make-up coated on their faces.

"There he is!" Gabriella and Taylor heard the woman on the left say. "Goodness, he is gorgeous."

"Those muscles…I would love to be caged in by those," The other woman said.

Gabriella and Taylor shared a look. Taylor's expression was disapproving.

"Can you imagine what sex with Troy Bolton would be like?" The woman on the right continued to whisper to her friend. "I'd probably want to stay in bed forever..."

Gabriella was beginning to feel extremely uncomfortable with the direction the women's conversation was heading. Sure, she knew that women all over the country ogled Troy. He won the hottest athlete contest for crying out loud. But she still didn't like women imagining how good her husband was in bed…

…even if he _was_ really good.

"Gab, ignore them…" Taylor whispered to her friend, putting a comforting hand on her arm.

"I know…" The brunette whispered back.

As the third quarter finally started and Troy returned back to the floor, the women in front of her wouldn't stop talking about Troy's body, or his hair, or his amazing stamina. Gabriella found herself getting more and more irritated.

Finally, one of their comments set her off.

"I heard he's married, but I bet he has a girl on the side. You know? Someone who's much better in bed than his wife probably is…"

That comment caused Gabriella to fist her hands tightly, but before she could say anything, she experienced a weird sense of déjà vu…

"_This is too exciting. I can't even sit still!" a 22 year-old Taylor giggled. _

"_I know! I've been so nervous the entire game. I can't imagine what Troy and Chad are feeling like…" Gabriella commented with a huge smile on her face. "This is so surreal. I'm so proud of them." _

_Taylor nodded her head in agreement, "For their first game in the NBA, they are playing so good. They are both naturals, clearly born to do this. What are the chances, Gabi? Both of our boyfriends – oh wait, excuse me, my boyfriend and your _fiancé_ – make it into the NBA!" _

_Gabriella blushed at Taylor's comment. Troy had proposed to Gabriella three weeks before and she had said yes. It was a total shock for Gabriella. She never planned on getting engaged so young, but she also never planned on meeting the man of her dreams at sixteen years old. _

"_I'm going to go get us some drinks while they're still in a timeout. Text me immediately if Chad goes back on the floor afterwards!" _

_Taylor took off, leaving Gabriella sitting alone, fidgeting with her purse. Even though she had great seats and her fiancé was the new starting guard for the Redhawks, she still felt like an outsider. All of the other players' wives and girlfriends were dressed in designer clothes and were texting the majority of the time their husbands were on the court. She was so grateful that Taylor was here with her. _

_Just as the timeout ended, she overhead a group of girls in the row behind her start talking about Troy. _

"_Who is the new starting guard? My God is he attractive!" _

"_He's so young, too. Look at those muscles…" _

"_I heard he was engaged, ladies. What a tragedy that he's already off the market."_

"_Oh, please Susan. That doesn't mean anything. If he's getting engaged at 22 you know he'll at least have two more wives. That poor girl only gets the award of being his first."_

"_Why do you say that, Cara?"_

"_Look at every other professional athlete that is one of the best. They love the power. They won't hesitate to screw any woman who willingly gets into their bed, regardless if it's not right. In fact, they probably wouldn't even think twice about their wife. Even if the wife finds out, she stays with him anyway because she wants the money. Only when the guy finds another, much younger, woman to marry does he divorce his first wife. And that's what she will forever be known as…that athlete's first wife. Same thing will happen with Troy Bolton and whomever he's engaged to, I guarantee it. I give them five years, and that's being generous…" _

_Gabriella's heart felt like it was being crushed as she listened to the women behind her talk about the ultimate failure her relationship with Troy would end in. She had honestly never thought about the fact that they could get divorced. What if Troy did find some other girl in five years or so? Gabriella would be broken because he was the only man she had ever been in love with. They _were_ getting married pretty young. Gabriella hated to admit it but the chance of them breaking up was likely when they were tying the knot so early. _

_Taylor returned with their drinks moments later, breaking Gabriella from her thoughts. _

"_Hey! I told you to text me if Chad was on the floor!" Taylor complained, handing Gabriella her lemonade. _

"_Sorry. I kind of spaced out there for a couple seconds…" Gabriella apologized, looking out at the court to watch her fiancé successfully complete an ally-oop with a powerful dunk. Troy was everything she ever wanted, but she needed him to be sure of the same thing. Now that they were engaged she desperately wanted to marry him, but maybe it would be better to wait a couple of years, let him get adjusted to life in the spotlight, just so he was absolutely sure she was the only girl for him. _

_The game ended quickly and the two friends parted ways, each heading back to their apartments. Gabriella got a text an hour after getting home from Troy, asking if she could come spend the night at his place. She reluctantly agreed, knowing she had a necessary task to accomplish. The sooner she did it, the sooner they both could get their lives together. _

"_Hey, Gab."_

_Troy answered the door, immediately pulling his fiancée in for a kiss. Gabriella melted into him as he closed the door behind him. God this was going to be difficult. _

"_You were amazing today. It was…incredible to watch you play," Gabriella complimented, earning a smile and a peck on the lips from Troy. He grabbed her hand and walked her into his tiny kitchen. _

"_Thanks. It was crazy. There were so many people, but I was still able to block them all out. Just focus on the game, you know?" Troy continued talking with his back to Gabriella as he rummaged around in his fridge for two sodas. _

_Gabriella took this opportunity to quietly slip her engagement ring off her finger and set it on the island between them._

"_I'm just so wired up right now I can't even think about sleeping. It's just too surreal. I'm actually playing in the NBA. I never thought I would be good enough to do that."_

_Troy turned around, setting the two cans on the island before turning back to close the fridge._

"_And I'm really glad you were there to watch. It meant the world to me to just know in the back of my head that you were there cheering me one, Gab. I love you so much," Troy smiled softly, handing a can to Gabriella. _

_It was the moment he looked down to open his can that he saw a sparkle on the island. Troy stilled his movements and looked at the engagement ring in shock, and then quickly to Gabriella's left ring finger, which was now bare. _

_Troy took his hands off the aluminum can and rested them against the counter, leaning against it with his head down. Gabriella took a deep breath, willing herself to brush it off as a tiny issue, nothing like the big deal it actually was. _

"_You don't…" Troy took in a deep breath, and Gabriella could tell he was trying to control his voice. He had only said two words and it was already shaking._

"_What did I do, Gabriella?" Troy looked up at this fiancée with raw pain in his eyes. "What changed?"_

_Gabriella shook her head slowly, while looking at the ground. _

"_It's not your fault, Troy. I didn't really realize it until tonight. We're _so_ young. Twenty-two. I mean, we're just kids, right out of college. There's no rush. I just think we should wait a couple of years. You know, make sure this is really what you want. After you've had time to adjust to this new life of yours maybe you can make a more well thought-out decision," Gabriella said softly._

_A sickening silence followed, and Gabriella forced herself to look up at Troy, who was trying to form some kind of response with his mouth, but couldn't seem to get any words out._

"_I'd still like to be your girlfriend, but I think we should hold off on getting married for a while. I understand if you wouldn't want me anymore after this, though."_

_Troy looked up at the ceiling, trying to control his reaction. Gabriella noticed his hands gripped the countertop harder. _

"_What brought this on? You…you said yes. You were so excited. We were both so excited. I don't understand."_

_Gabriella felt tears come to her eyes at Troy's insecure tone. _

"_Some of the fans watching the game had conversations that got me thinking about things. I know the life of a professional athlete is not easy. I also know that you are going to have a lot more options for women now. I want to give you the opportunity to make sure I'm the one for you before we get married. I don't want to be a first wife, Troy. I want to be your only wife…" _

_Gabriella wiped a traitor tear off of her cheek and looked back up at Troy. His pain had suddenly turned to fury, and Gabriella found her heart beating faster in fear._

"_You think that little of me? You think that I would just throw you away for a young college-aged girl when I hit 30? You think that I'd want to spend the rest of my life with some slut who doesn't know anything about me except that I play basketball? Do you think that I would cheat on you? Jesus, Gab. Maybe you're right. Maybe getting married isn't such a good idea. If you can't trust the fact that I love you more than anything in the entire world, and that I would do anything to make you happy, then this marriage is going to be doomed from the start…" Troy shook his head sadly as Gabriella's jaw dropped open in shock. _

_Troy clenched his jaw and pounded his fist into the counter in frustration before walking out of the room. _

_Gabriella felt herself slide to the floor in shock, tears now streaming down her face. He was right. He was so right. She overreacted and now she was pushing away the best thing that ever happened to her. _

_Gabriella buried her head in her hands as she attempted to control her loud sobs. She had to think of a way to make it up to Troy. She couldn't let him walk out of her life. She needed a second chance to make things right. He was her everything. _

_Just as she was about to get up, Gabriella felt strong arms lift her off the floor and cradle her like a baby. She buried her head in Troy's chest, soaking his shirt with tears as she threw her arms around his neck. Moments later she was set down on his bed before he took a seat next to her. _

"_Troy, I'm so sorry -"_

"_Don't, Gab. Don't apologize. I don't want to make you cry. I sorry I was so inconsiderate about your feelings. I should've known better. It's got to be hard hearing people talk about us like that. Fortunately, I don't have to hear it, but unfortunately you do."_

"_No, Troy, it's not your fault. You were completely justified in what you said. I do need to trust you. I know you're the one for me, I just couldn't imagine if I ever ended up not being the one for you. Not being with you…it's terrifying," Gabriella admitted, and Troy enveloped her in his arms immediately. _

"_I know. The thought of you leaving me makes me sick to my stomach, Gab. But this is a good thing. It proves that we _really_ care about each other and aren't just jumping in to this marriage thing. I know we're young, but we've known each other for a long time. I know I want to be married to you for the rest of my life, so why wait?" _

_Gabriella nodded at Troy's words, squeezing him a little tighter. _

"_I want to be married to you so bad, Troy…" Gabriella agreed as Troy wiped away some of the tears that were still streaming down her cheeks. _

"_I feel the same way, Baby. Will you take this back?" Troy asked softly, holding out her engagement ring in the palm of his hand. _

_Gabriella giggled slightly, nodding her head. "Of course I want it back."_

_Troy grinned as he once again slid the finger on Gabriella's left hand. _

"_Looks like we just got engaged for the second time, Gabi. I think this time we should try to top the first engagement's celebration," Troy grinned, rolling on top of Gabriella and making her forget all of her worries. She had never been more sure of anyone in her entire life._

"Gabriella? Honey snap out of it," Taylor snapped her fingers in front of her friend's face, trying to get her attention. The brunette blinked rapidly, coming back to the present.

"Breathe, sweetheart. Breathe…" Taylor soothed, and Gabriella realized she was gasping for breath.

What the hell was that? Why was she remembering so many things lately? Could it be the pregnancy?

"Gab, did you remember something?" Taylor asked curiously. The game had advanced into the fourth quarter with only three minutes left.

"I've been remembering a lot lately. Just weird bits and pieces. It's like all of the sudden little things trigger the memories. I still don't _know_ who anyone is, but I recognize them. Like I just remembered how I broke off the engagement with Troy after I watched his first NBA game…did that really happen?"

Taylor gasped. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah! That really did happen. You guys told us about that. I can't believe you remembered it! What else have you remembered?" Taylor asked curiously, keeping one eye on the game and one on Gabriella.

"Well, just little stuff. Like when we found out about Caleb, and…" Gabriella thought about the memory of Troy sitting in front of Caleb's crib. "…other stuff."

That was the one memory that really frustrated Gabriella. She wanted to know what Troy was going to say so badly. For some reason, Gabriella believed that memory was special, and she shouldn't share it with Taylor.

"Oh, Gabi. Troy is going to be so happy when he hears about that! He's been hoping and praying that you would get your memory back since the day you lost it…"

Gabriella frowned at that comment, a new thought coming into her head.

"Has he mentioned anything about that to Chad? Like on the road or in the locker room or anything?"

Troy hadn't mentioned anything about her memory for two months. He had stopped commenting and asking questions about it after he found out how much it bothered her.

Taylor looked cautious for a moment before answering.

"Well…yeah. A little bit. He keeps bringing up stuff about how this pregnancy is different from and similar to Caleb's. And then he talks about different things you guys went through with Caleb when he was first born. He's trying to help prepare Chad, I know, but he's also told Chad how depressing it is to know that you may never remember pivotal moments of your relationship. He knows it's not your fault, but every once in a while it hits him. He'll want to comment to you about it and realizes he can't because you don't remember…"

Gabriella sighed. It was so hard not being able to share memories with Troy. She hated hurting him without even trying.

"I feel horrible…Please don't tell Troy, though. I don't think these flashbacks mean I'm going to get my memory back and I'd hate to get Troy's hopes up again only to have them crushed."

Taylor nodded, agreeing to her friend's request as the two turned back to watch the last minute of the game. It hadn't been the nail-biter they were expecting. The Redhawks were actually doing really well against the Suns. They had an eight-point lead going into the final ten seconds.

Little Caleb cheered the loudest as he watched his daddy and his teammates celebrate their victory. The Redhawks were officially up 2 to 1 in the series, with the next game three days away. That gave the boys plenty of time to rest up.

Gabriella and Taylor gave each other a hug before leaving the arena, knowing their husbands had press conference obligations that would take up at least another hour and a half.

When Gabriella got home, she quickly put a tired Caleb to bed after giving him a bath, and then flopped onto her master bed and began reading a new book. She got a good seventy-five pages in before Troy slipped into the room, freshly showered and looking as incredible as ever.

"Hey, babe," Troy said with a huge smile, dropping his duffel bag by the door and pouncing on the bed to give Gabriella a quick kiss before he walked into the closet to change.  
"Hey, you. What's with the good mood?" Gabriella asked curiously, closing her book and leaning over to put it in her nightstand.

"Oh, nothing. We just won our second game against the Suns tonight and are up 2 to 1 in the series. Oh, and I'm going to be the father of a beautiful baby girl in September, no big deal…"

Gabriella giggled at Troy's nonchalance. He had been bringing up their daughter every single day, and she couldn't have been more excited that he was so happy about their girl.

Troy stopped for a moment, looking at Gabriella curiously as she tried to tug the drawer of her nightstand open.

"Having trouble there, Hun?" He asked, strolling over and attempting to pull the drawer out, only to realize that it was not going to get unstuck.

"Fuck. That's not coming out. Let me go get the nightstand that I had at my apartment out of the basement. You can use that tonight until I can fix the drawer," Troy took the lamp off the stand and lifted it into his arms with ease.

"Troy, that can wait until tomorrow," Gabriella argued, wondering why Troy was intent on getting her a new nightstand at midnight.

"Sorry, Gab, but it can't. We both know I will forget I need to change it tomorrow morning."

Gabriella couldn't contradict that. Troy tried his hardest to remember to do little tasks that Gabriella mentioned to him but because his mind was so wrapped up in the playoffs, he often forgot.

Gabriella laid her head on her fluffy pillow and closed her eyes. She opened them when she saw Troy walk back into the room, carrying his old nightstand from the apartment.

"Here you go, Ma'am. Is there anything else you need me to fix while I'm up?" Troy grinned. He so easily drew Gabriella in with his charm.

"Well…" Gabriella thought, "I think that's it for the moment. What do I owe you for your services, sir?"

"Hmmm… for bringing up a nightstand? All the way from the basement? That kind of payment would most certainly include some clothes coming off…"

Gabriella giggled as Troy whipped his shirt off and tossed it aside before turning off the light and diving onto the bed. He sat up against the headboard and grabbed Gabriella, effectively pulling her on top of him so she was straddling his waist.

"You okay with this, babe? Feeling alright?" Troy asked as he brushed her hair behind her ear. He was so sensitive to her needs and her feelings. She couldn't imagine what would've happened if she had successfully broken off their engagement three years ago.

"Oh, Troy. I want you _so bad_ right now. Seeing you bring up that nightstand…" Gabriella closed her eyes, giving Troy the show that she was reliving the sight of him carrying the piece of furniture. "…so sexy. You're so handy…"

Troy's grin widened as he pressed his fingertips into her hips. "Baby, we've only scratched the surface of how handy I can be…"

Gabriella giggled and fastened her lips tightly to her husbands. Troy groaned, moving his hands down to her lower back.

Gabriella ran her hands up Troy's chest and then down his arms, pausing momentarily after she was done with the circuit.

She pulled her lips off of Troy's, earning a curious and slightly disappointed look from her husband.

"Jesus, Troy. You're biceps are _huge._ And I thought they were huge months ago. Honey… you've seriously been lifting lately, haven't you?" Gabriella complimented, running her hands up and down Troy's rock hard arms.

Troy chuckled, pulling Gabriella more tightly against his chest.

"A little, and I'm glad you approve…" he murmured as he kissed her neck. "Looks like my biceps aren't the only thing that's gotten bigger…"

Gabriella pulled her head back from Troy's godly chest and stared into her husband's crystal blue eyes, confused as to what he was referring to.

"I love you just the way you are, but I can't deny that these…" Gabriella let out a gasp as Troy whipped off her shirt and palmed her now much larger breasts "…are an awesome perk to knocking you up."

Gabriella giggled, cupping Troy's face to bring to hers, kissing him fiercely.

Suddenly, she remembered a comment she had heard earlier in the day.

"Troy…" she whispered, pulling back slightly, though Troy's lips continued to search for hers. The brunette quickly kissed him, encouraging him to open his eyes.

"Am I good in bed?" she asked, unable to keep the insecurity out of her question.

Troy's eyes popped open as he stared at her in shock, followed by confusion.

"Of course you are, Gab. You're incredible. I love having sex with you. It's like nothing else in the world…"

Gabriella blushed, a small smile coming over her face.

"What's this about, Babe? Where did it come from?" Troy asked curiously, immediately switching from lover to concerned husband in a second.

"I just heard some women talking at the game today about how you probably had a girl on the side to take care of you because your wife wasn't good in bed…"

Troy let out a deep sigh and clutched Gabriella closer to him.

"You can't listen to that stuff, Gabriella. Yes, some professional athletes go that route, and not only is it immoral and wrong, it is a horrible way to treat their wife. I would never do that to you, because the only person I've ever wanted to sleep with since I met you has been _you_. I haven't slept with another woman since you came into my life at sixteen," Troy commented sincerely, his eyes pleading with Gabriella's for her to believe him.

"I know…it's just hard to ignore stuff like that. Especially now that I'm pregnant and will very quickly turn into a whale…"

Troy chuckled, kissing Gabriella's cheek. "Pregnancy suits you so well, Gabriella. You look so damn sexy with a baby bump. Hell you look sexy no matter if your stomach is flat or round, whether you have your B cup or DD's. It doesn't matter, baby. You're just naturally sexy, and if I wasn't as polite and respectful as I am, we would never leave this bed."

Gabriella grinned. Troy knew exactly how to make her feel better.

"Thanks, Troy. I really needed to hear that."

"Anytime, Baby. I'm always here to tell you the truth. Never forget that."

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**Part 3 on Wednesday! Thanks for reading! You guys are the best!**


	26. Resurface Part 3

**Here's part 3! My Internet was down for most of the day so I apologize for posting this so late.**

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**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 24: Resurface (Part 3)**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

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Gabriella sighed as she let the warm water run down her back. She squeezed some of her shampoo out of the bottle and gently began to massage her hair.

Gabriella loved morning showers. They always gave her ten minutes or so to just relax and mentally prepare for the day. She had been forced to take her showers at night when Troy was away and Caleb was in bed, but now that her husband was back for another four days, she was finally able to indulge in a nice morning shower.

Gabriella began to rinse her hair as she heard her toddler's excited squeal. Troy had insisted he play with Caleb while Gabriella showered. He admitted that he hated leaving Caleb for weeks at a time because of the playoffs. Caleb felt the same way. The toddler loved spending time with his dad.

Caleb appeared to have quieted down and Gabriella felt a smile form across her face as she ran her hands over her baby bump. She was really in for it when her baby girl hit the terrible twos. Caleb would be five and just starting kindergarten thank goodness, but the summers were going to be insane with two kids under the age of 6. Good thing Troy wasn't traveling as much then.

"How's the little one doing in there?"

Gabriella jumped at the sound of her husbands voice and the door to the shower open as a beautifully naked Troy stepped in.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be watching Caleb!" Gabriella exclaimed, trying to maintain her look of disapproval as Troy took her into his arms.

"He's playing with his building blocks in his room. I think he'll be okay for five minutes. Besides, I wanted to take a shower, too…"

"You're going to practice in an hour," Gabriella giggled. "What a waste of a shower. You're just going to be all sweaty again…"

Troy rolled his eyes at her, sending her a charming grin as he cupped her face and leaned down to give her a chaste kiss. "Maybe I just wanted to spend some time with my beautiful wife. Is that okay?"

The brunette shook her head at her husband's antics, wondering how he always managed to charm his way out of everything.

"Mmmm… that's perfectly fine with me," Gabriella whispered, letting out a tiny moan as Troy pressed her against the tile wall of the shower and began giving her gentle kisses on her neck.

"Have you started thinking about names?" Troy asked curiously, and Gabriella opened her eyes, staring into her husband's curious ones.

"Not really, actually. Have you?"

Troy shook his head, letting the water cascade down his face and neck onto his godly pectorals. "Me neither, but I guess a few come to mind."

"Like what?" Gabriella asked as Troy grabbed her conditioner and started massaging it into her hair.

"I don't know. Maybe Peyton? I've always liked that one. Or…and I know it's a long shot, but Lucy? My mom would just die of happiness right on the spot if that's what we named this little girl. Um…Harlow? That sounds nice. I don't really know though. Caleb just seemed to agree with both of us…I don't want to screw up our daughter's name…"

"I like those, too. I don't remember how or when we named Caleb, but maybe we should wait until she's born and see what she looks like to us? We could have our top three names picked out and choose the best one then?"

"That's perfect, Gab. You're so smart, baby…"

Gabriella giggled as Troy nuzzled her neck under the water. A sudden thought caught Gabriella off guard.

"Troy, what's Caleb's middle name?"

Troy moved his head from his wife's neck and looked at her in surprise. "Did I really never mention his middle name since the accident?"

Gabriella shook her head, but remained silent.

Troy looked at Gabriella warily. "It's Anthony…"

Gabriella felt the wind leave her chest. It felt like someone just slapped her across the face, poured a bucket of ice-cold water on her, and ripped her heart out at the same time.

"Gab? You okay, Babe?"

Gabriella stood there under the water, shell-shocked. She had completely forgotten about him lately. The entire thing slipped her mind, with all of the drama surrounding Troy and the baby and Caleb…how could she forget?

Gabriella took a deep breath, closing her eyes and willing herself to control the sadness flowing through her.

"I'm sorry, Baby. I didn't mean to make you upset," Troy murmured, pulling her into his arms and giving her a big hug.

"It completely slipped my mind, but…" Gabriella swallowed the lump in her throat as tears began to pool in her eyes. "…he's never going to be able to see his grandchildren. He'll never meet his son-in-law – the one guy that makes his daughter ridiculously happy but yet will never be good enough for her. God, I miss him so much!"

Gabriella sobbed onto Troy's shoulder as he gripped her tighter. He tried not to bring up her father, because every time he did Gabriella felt guilty for not thinking about him more, and upset that he would never get to witness the majority of her life.

Anthony Montez had passed away from cancer when Gabriella was thirteen. It had taken Troy almost a year and a half to get her to talk about it after he met her. He remembered the first time he had asked when he would have to meet her father, and how quiet she got before she skillfully avoided the question.

The truth finally came out when Gabriella got accepted to her father's alma mater senior year – Duke. Troy had wondered why she had applied there when he knew she wanted to go to Stanford. Troy was with her the day she got her acceptance letter. He somehow managed to overcome his shock at her reaction and held her as she sobbed, eventually coercing her into telling him why she was so upset. Knowing that she got in to her dad's college made her feel connected to him somehow. She almost felt obligated to go there, since all she heard as a child was how great it was. Carmen managed to convince her that following her own path was what Anthony would've wanted, so Gabriella chose to go to Stanford.

It upset Troy deeply that he would never get to meet his father-in-law. Everything he heard about the man was overwhelmingly positive. Anthony had been one of the kindest people and had had a deep influence on Gabriella when she was a little girl. His word revolved around her. He worked two jobs at one point so that she could go to a private school for three years when they had moved into a bad school district in New Hampshire.

Gabriella's sobs turned into sniffles, and she drew her head away from Troy's chest to wipe away her tears.

"Sorry. I haven't thought about Daddy in a while. I wish he could be here to see our life. He would be absolutely blown away that I married a hot NBA basketball star. He would've loved you, Troy. He really would've loved you. I'm glad that he lives on through Caleb. It means a lot that we chose my Dad's name for his middle name. Was that my idea?"

Troy shook his head gently. "It was actually mine. Well, kind of. I wanted to name him Anthony, but you said it would be too painful to call him that every singe day. So we went with our favorite baby name, which was Caleb, and I suggested we use Anthony as his middle name. I think it all worked out for the best. Don't cry, baby."

Gabriella got control of her emotions and nodded. "I won't…ugh. So much for starting my morning off on a positive note…"

Troy felt a grin spread on his face and he pushed Gabriella back against the tile wall of the shower once more.

"We still have time to make this a very positive morning…"

And after Troy's steamy kisses and incredible shower sex, that's exactly how Gabriella was feeling when she floated down the stairs to the front door – positive. Troy stood there in a pair of gym shorts and a Redhawks' warm up shirt and pulled her tightly to him so he could plant another kiss on her lips.

"That never gets old…" Troy murmured, resting his head on his wife's shoulder.

"I know. I can't believe we lived without it for so long. Now get going, Mr. Superstar. You're going to be late to practice and I don't want all the boys to be talking about our sex life because of it…What? I know you guys talk…"

Troy gave Gabriella an eyebrow and chuckled, placing one more steamy kiss on her lips before giving his toddler a tight squeeze and walking out the door for practice.

Great. Now she was all hot and bothered with no Troy here to take care of her.

Caleb raced back up the stairs to go back to playing with his blocks in his room. Gabriella followed him up and slipped into her master bathroom to put her makeup on for the day.

She didn't have much to accomplish. Just make sure Caleb was entertained, maybe shop online for some new baby stuff, and watch a movie with her toddler. Not having to go to work gave her a lot of free time, which was nice, but some days were boring as hell.

Gabriella finished putting on her makeup and walked back into her bedroom, spotting her book sitting on her new nightstand.

Not having anything better to do, Gabriella curled up with her book and began reading it.

She was so entranced by the romance of the hero and the heroine that she ended up reading for four hours. Caleb had come in to take a nap on her bed and was now cuddled up under the covers. His little hands were fisted and his tiny head burrowed into the pillow. Gabriella felt her heart ache as she placed a bookmark in her book and set it on the bed beside her.

Caleb's sandy brown hair was sticking up in crazy directions and his little mouth hung slightly open as he slept peacefully. Gabriella loved him so much. There was just something special about looking at him and knowing that he was a result of her relationship with Troy. Seeing Caleb reminded her that she was tied to Troy permanently through him – and that made her ridiculously happy.

Gabriella leaned down to give Caleb a kiss before snatching her book and opening her new nightstand drawer to put it away. She noticed there were a couple of Troy's things that he must have forgotten to take out after he brought the stand back from his apartment.

Gabriella set the book back down on the bed and began to rummage through the drawer. She found a simple silver chain necklace, a Sport's Illustrated magazine, three dollars and fifty-eight cents, and…a ring box?

Gabriella pulled out the leather black box and stared at it curiously. Was there a ring inside? What was Troy doing with a ring?

Gabriella looked down at her left hand to see her wedding ring still situated on her ring finger. Is this where Troy stored his wedding ring when he had to play? She knew he didn't wear it on the court, but usually put it on immediately when he got back home. He always told her that he liked wearing it because it showed everyone that he was lucky enough to be tied to the most wonderful woman in the world.

Gabriella slowly opened the box, still confused as to what could be inside.

Sitting upon the velvet cushion inside was a silver band with two rows of white diamonds surrounding a row of rubies in the middle. The diamonds glistened brightly as Gabriella gazed upon the ring, stunned and speechless not only because of its beauty, but because she knew exactly what this was…

"_Just hear me out for a minute, okay? I'm not asking you to marry me, Gabriella. You can calm down…my already wounded ego would appreciate it."_

_Gabriella sucked in a deep breath as she tried to look up at her boyfriend, who was holding a ring box in his hand as if his life depended on it. She saw his fingers shaking slightly, and knew that underneath his joking smile he was terrified._

"_We've known each other for what, almost four years? Our relationship has survived high school, the long distance of going to different colleges, and countless attempts to break us up. We've been solid the entire four years, Gabriella. And that…that really means something to me._

"_I know we're young, and this probably isn't something many guys think about at 20 years old, but…I just can't imagine not being your boyfriend. Not being in your life…it just is unfathomable. And…I know I've told you that I love you, but I wanted to do something to make you understand that I will be here for you…forever. When you're not with me I'll always be thinking of you. No matter how many girls want to be with me, I'm always going to be committed to you. Never anyone else, Gabi. Just you. Always you._

"_And I guess..." Troy sighed, running a hand through his hair, frustrated that he couldn't seem to be getting the right words out. "You know how I've been telling you I was working for the athletic department some nights, helping out with stuff so I could get some extra spending money?" _

_Gabriella remained shocked, staring at Troy with wide eyes. "You really had a job?"_

_Troy looked back at his beautiful girlfriend, utterly confused. She stood in front of him, her peach dress blowing slightly in the breeze with an expression on her face of complete insecurity. _

"_What do you mean 'you really had a job'? Of course I had a job. Did you think I was lying?" _

_Gabriella blushed a little at Troy's accusation, looking out over the moonlit water. Troy had taken her to Forbes Island, a fancy restaurant with incredible views of the San Francisco Bay. It was their three-year anniversary and while most girlfriends would be excited about their boyfriends taking them out for a fancy dinner, Gabriella had been dreading it all week. _

_Troy had been really distant for the past month. Any time Gabriella called about getting together, Troy said he was busy working. At first, Gabriella shook it off. She understood how difficult it was to be a student athlete and figured Troy needed some time alone to catch up on his schoolwork. But then, Troy stopped texting Gabriella, and even when she texted him he would write back vague, one-word answers. That was a red light for Gabriella. When she tried to get together with Troy the week before, he refused once again, claiming he was busy and didn't have time to make the drive up to Stanford. _

_So when Troy finally made plans to take her out to dinner for their third anniversary, Gabriella was sure Troy was going to break up with her. It was all right in front of her face. He had tried to slowly distance himself from her, not going out anymore or answering her text messages. He didn't even call once every three days like they had promised they would do. _

_Gabriella had convinced herself that Troy was lying about his extra curricular activities, or at least not telling her the truth about what they were. So the fact that he was standing here in front of her, dressed in nice dark-washed jeans, a white t-shirt and a suit jacket, holding on to a ring box, absolutely blew Gabriella's mind. _

"_I…I…yeah. I thought you were lying about all that stuff and then brought me here to break up with me…"_

_Troy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and looking away from Gabriella. _

"_You thought I was enough of an asshole to break up with you on our third anniversary?" Troy asked incredulously. _

_Gabriella felt tears coming to her eyes as she realized she had been wrong, very wrong. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Troy or offend him._

"_Gab…shit, don't cry. Come here," Troy muttered, pulling his girlfriend to him and giving her a hug. He kissed the top of her hair before leading her over to a bench near the edge of the pier. _

"_I know I've been cancelling on a lot of stuff lately, and haven't been very…normal? I was just really busy with working for the athletic department, and I was also kind of scared to talk to you…"_

_Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at Troy with an adorable confused expression on her face. "Why were you scared to talk to me?"_

"_Because I wasn't sure how you were going to react to this," Troy held up the ring box, finally opening it for Gabriella to see what was inside. "I love you, Gabriella. And this ring is a symbol of that. I've been working for the athletic department so I could save up and buy you this promise ring. It's my promise to you that there is no other girl in the world for me. It's my promise that I will always love you and eventually, when we're older and the time is right, I'm going to ask to replace this with an engagement ring…"_

_Gabriella was speechless as she stared down at the silver band, covered with silver diamonds and rubies in between. Her hand made it's way up to her mouth, and she look up from the ring to see Troy staring at her nervously._

"_Troy…" Gabriella breathed, shaking her head in disbelief. "…it's beautiful. I love it. This is the best anniversary gift ever!" _

_Gabriella's attitude promptly turned from shocked to giddy and excited as she flung herself into her boyfriend's arms. "I love you so much, Troy. And it makes me so happy that you feel the same way…this is amazing. You shouldn't have gotten me this, but I really appreciate it." _

_Troy smiled brightly, happy that he had chosen the perfect gift. He slid the ring out of the box and onto Gabriella's finger, with both admiring how perfect it looked sitting there. _

"_East High colors?" Gabriella asked curiously._

_Troy blushed and nodded. "I figured Berkeley colors would be a stretch since your allegiance is to Stanford, but honestly, we met at East High. And we'll both always be able to say that we went to high school there…" _

_Gabriella lifted herself onto her toes and threw her arms around Troy's neck, kissing him deeply. Moments later, she pulled back, but still kept her face close to his. _

"_You'll always be my Wildcat. I love you so much, Troy." _

"_I love you, too…" Troy murmured, leaning down for one more kiss, only to be stopped by Gabriella abruptly pushing him away. _

"_How much did this cost? Are these real diamonds?" Gabriella asked curiously. _

_Troy looked back at his girlfriend warily, "Yeah they're real, and it doesn't matter how much it cost, Gab…"_

"_Oh, God," Gabriella looked at Troy with fear written all over her face. Her curls blew behind her back as the Oceanside breeze picked up. "It was a lot, wasn't it?" _

_Troy sighed, pulling Gabriella into his arms once more, trying to calm her down. She hated getting expensive things, and Troy constantly had to remind her that he loved spoiling her. _

"_Five hundred dollars. But before you say anything…" _

_Too late. Gabriella gasped and pulled back from Troy, looking at him in shock. _

"…_I only had to work for three weeks. Which isn't very long if you think about it, so don't be mad. I've wanted to get you one of these for a while."_

_Gabriella shook her head, more tears springing to her eyes as she clutched at her boyfriend desperately. "Thank you so much, Troy. You're the best boyfriend ever. I'm so lucky." _

_Troy grinned, grabbing her waist and escorting her back to his truck. _

"_You're welcome. I love that you love it. Now, I know it's late, so if you want to go back to your dorm, I understand. But I…God this sounds really presumptuous," Troy ran a hand over his face in frustration. "I kind of booked us a hotel room near here, just cause it's a Saturday and we don't really have anything to do tomorrow, but if you don't want to spend the night I understand. Or even if you want to just chill in the room tonight and not have sex, that's cool, too. It's up to you."_

_Gabriella giggled at her boyfriend's awkwardness. "You just gave me a five hundred dollar promise ring, Troy. We better be having sex tonight." _

_Troy let out a breath as a huge grin lit up his face. "Thank, God. Cause I don't know if I was going to be able to let you leave, anyway." _

Gabriella stared down out the ring in her hand, weighing it with her palm. That was the first night they had sex without a condom. Of course Gabriella had been on the pill, but it was truly romantic, having no physical barriers to separate them.

But…how was she holding this ring? This exact promise ring Troy had given her their sophomore year of college. She hadn't seen this since her junior year…

_Gabriella shut the door to her dorm room, tears immediately springing to her eyes as she slid down the door. She couldn't believe she and Troy were really over. It was so painful for her to think about. She felt so guilty when she thought of the look on his face…_

_But it was his fault! If he hadn't slept with that stupid girl then they would still be together. They would still be happy. _

"_He fucking promised!" Gabriella screamed, so desperately hurting that she couldn't control her fury and despair. A red glint caught her eye as she looked down at the promise ring sitting on her ring finger. _

"_Some promise…" Gabriella seethed, twisting the ring, frantically trying to get it off. Once it left her finger, her hand felt naked, bare. Like something was missing. But Gabriella didn't care. She opened her dorm window and threw the five hundred dollar promise ring out the window, along with any hope she had of her and Troy ever having a future together. _

Gabriella felt herself stumble back onto the bed as she realized she knew the ending to this story, and it was not a happy one.

"_What are you looking for, Gab?" Troy asked curiously, watching his girlfriend search the grass on her hands and knees late at night. He had driven up to Stanford to drop off the box of his stuff he wanted Gabriella to have back. They had only been back together for three days, but he still felt like it was important for her to have a piece of him at all times. _

"_It's got to be here, it just has to…" Gabriella mumbled, anxiously moving her hands through the grassy ground below her fifth story dorm window. _

"_Baby, if you tell me what you're looking for maybe I can help," Troy said, sinking down to his knees next to Gabriella. _

_Tears streamed down Gabriella's face as she sat back on her knees, looking Troy in the eye._

"_I threw your promise ring out the window the night we broke up and I can't find it…" _

_Troy stared back at her in shock and then looked down at her bare ring finger. He couldn't get any words out. _

"_I'm so sorry. I know you worked so hard to buy that for me and I just threw it away. I can't believe I did that, Troy. I'm so, so, so sorry. Please believe me." _

_Troy shook his head, trying to break out of the daze he had been sent into with those words. "You threw away the promise ring?" he asked incredulously. _

_Gabriella bit her lip, tears still running down her cheeks, and nodded. _

"_I'm so sorry." _

_Troy blew out a breath. That was like a punch in the gut. Five hundred dollars out the window like it meant nothing. Sure they were broken up, but…that just sucked. _

"_It's okay. I understand why you did it," Troy mumbled, unable to hide the frustration on his face. _

"_What's wrong, Troy. Please talk to me…" Gabriella pleaded, placing her hands on either side of his face. _

_Troy swallowed, willing himself to remain calm. "You just…you gave up on us so easily. I don't understand. I've told you over and over how much I love you and how I want you in my life forever, and you just toss it out the window – both the ring and our relationship – so easily. It just…hurts, Gab."_

It had taken Gabriella a solid week to get back in Troy's good graces. He was honestly hurt by the fact that she threw away the ring. She still tried never to mention that incident to him because he never seemed to truly get over it.

_Oh my God._

Troy never got over that. It still hurt him when she mentioned it.

Gabriella felt her breathing become shaky as she tried to control everything that flooded her mind in the same instant.

_She remembered that_.

She remembered when and where he gave her the promise ring, and what he said. She remembered throwing it away after their breakup junior year. She remembered trying to find it, but failing.

Suddenly, another realization hit Gabriella like a semi truck, leaving her breathless.

"He didn't want Caleb…" she muttered.

"_What's wrong, Troy?" Gabriella asked softly, leaning her head against his. _

"_He's so perfect, Gab. Look at him. He's just…you and me. And he couldn't be more perfect…" _

"_I know," Gabriella grinned, turning her head to give Troy a quick kiss. _

_Both parents returned to staring at Caleb. Completely entranced by the tiny baby in front of them. _

"_What's so bad about our child being perfect, Troy?" Gabriella giggled quietly, holding on to one of her husband's hands in hers. _

"_I just…I can't believe that…" Troy's voice started to choke up. "I can't believe that I didn't want him."_

_Gabriella was silent for a moment, shocked, maybe, but unsurprised by Troy's admission. _

"_I know…" she comforted quietly, and Troy looked at her with self-hatred clearly evident in his eyes. _

"_I've got to be the worst person on the planet. Who doesn't want their own child? Who gets upset when they're having a baby boy?" _

_Gabriella wrapped her arms tightly around Troy, trying to comfort him but knowing there wasn't much she could do._

"_You knew? This whole time?" Troy asked in a small voice, the glistening of his eyes revealing the fact that he was very upset with himself. _

_Gabriella pulled back from her husband to give him a small nod. _

"_I figured it out. You were so excited about the baby, and then when you found out it was a boy you weren't really excited anymore. I realized that you wanted a girl, not a boy." _

_Troy shook his head in disgust, feeling more pain that Gabriella could imagine. _

"_Just because I wanted a girl doesn't mean I should've been upset about having a son. Caleb is the best thing that could have ever happened to us, Gab. And I didn't want him…" _

"_That doesn't mean you're a bad father. Troy, you've been doting on this little one ever since he was born." _

_Troy's gaze fastened to the ground, and he refused to look at his wife. _

"_Why don't you tell me why you wanted a girl so badly, Troy," Gabriella suggested, nuzzling her face in his neck and giving him a tiny kiss there. _

_Troy was silent for a moment, staring at his little son in the crib, before he tightened his arms around Gabriella. _

"_It's selfish, really. Having a girl meant that I would get to carry around a mini-you. She would be a replica of her beautiful mother. She'd be perfect and smart, and a free spirit. But having a son…" Troy paused for a moment, regaining his composure, "…I was terrified. I still am. I've always looked up to my Dad. He's been my role model, my hero, my best friend when the going got tough. I always wanted to be like my Dad, to impress him and make him proud. It made me miserable when I couldn't succeed. I felt like I let him down. That's so much pressure. I don't want our son to feel the same way. I want our son to be his own person, to feel independent of my accomplishments. I've seen what happens to the sons of athletes, Gab. They try so hard to live up to their father's success, and most of them fail and it ruins the relationship between them and their father. I don't want that to happen. I want Caleb to know that I will be proud of him no matter what he does. I'd love if I were his role model, but at the same time I'm afraid I'm going to screw up big time in his eyes. Not only do I not want him to view himself as a failure, ever, I also don't want him to view his father as a failure…" _

_Gabriella nodded softly; she was glad to have a better understanding of Troy's despair. _

"_But that doesn't mean you didn't want to have a son. That just means that you didn't think you were prepared for the responsibility, which you are. Even if we had a girl, Troy, she would look up to you and think her Daddy could do no wrong. That's tremendous pressure as well. It just comes with being a parent." _

_Troy shot his wife a small smile, leaning his forehead against hers. _

"_I'm sorry I was not as excited as I should've been. I was just nervous. Really nervous. Remember the day we found out Caleb was a boy? When the nurse said he would probably be 'incredibly athletic'? That did it. I just got so afraid for my son. What if he doesn't want to be an athlete? What if he doesn't want to play sports? People are going to stay stuff, and I don't ever want him to feel like he's a failure because he makes his own choices, whether or not they are similar to mine. " _

_Gabriella clutched herself to her husband, holding him tightly in her arms. "It seems scary when you don't know who your child is. But my God, Troy. You've been the best father to Caleb so far. When he's old enough to play sports, of course you're going to introduce him to basketball, because that's such a big part of your life. But you are never going to force him to play if he doesn't want to, and I know you will be proud of him no matter what he does. You need to give yourself credit, Troy. You're a great man, a great husband, and a great father. You just have to believe it. Me and Caleb are so lucky to have you in our lives." _

_Troy pulled Gabriella's face back to give her a searing kiss, pouring all of his fears and desires for their child into it. She understood what he had been feeling these past couple of months, and was glad he could finally get it off his chest. _

"_I still feel guilty for being disappointed about having him…" Troy murmured after he pulled back, returning his gaze to the tiny baby in the crib. _

"_I'm never going to tell anyone, Troy. This is between you and me, forever. Okay?"_

_Troy nodded sadly._

"_I'm sorry I failed you and Caleb. I love you both so much, Gab…" _

Gabriella stared at the bedroom wall in complete silence as the last decade of her life revealed itself in her mind. Like a seedling in the spring, budding and then blossoming into a beautiful flower, Gabriella's mind finally opened up, allowing her to see how she got to where she was now.

Memories filled her mind, like a ripple effect where each memory triggered another one, leaving Gabriella shocked and unresponsive as she continued to stare blankly ahead. Nine months ago Gabriella's memory had been taken away from her. In sixty seconds, a decade of her life was wiped clean, leaving her scared, alone, and frustrated as she tried to connect the pieces of her past to fit in with her future.

Troy. Caleb. Taylor. Chad. Lucille. Jack. Cohen. Michael. Steve.

"Oh, God. Troy…" Gabriella choked out.

She remembered everything.

And after nine months of drowning, she finally resurfaced...

* * *

**So, I figured the next part (what was originally part 4 of this chapter) could actually stand alone as its own chapter. So it will have a different name, but will still be posted on Friday. Does that make sense? Haha. **


	27. Despair

**Sorry it's a little late! And I was doing so well! As I was revising this chapter tonight I noticed that I wanted to rewrite some of the ending parts, so some of you will probably be disappointed with a certain scene that didn't make it into this chapter. Nevertheless, the next chapter will be out next week. Not sure exactly when cause of the July 4th holiday, but you won't have to wait long!**

**Sorry this one is a little short. Hopefully the next chapter will make up for it!**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 25: Despair**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

She laid in stillness, her head resting gently on the pillow. The only sound passing through her ears was the soft, steady breathing of the sleeping toddler in her arms.

Her brunette curls cascaded down her back, reaching just past her shoulder blades.

Her hair was exactly the same.

Her tiny waist was accentuated by the small, black tank top she had slipped into that morning after taking an incredible shower with an incredible man.

Her body was exactly the same.

The soft curve of her full lashes brought out the deep chocolate brown of her eyes as she stared at the wall.

Her face was exactly the same.

She was Gabriella. Formerly Gabriella Montez, now Gabriella Bolton. She was the mother of Caleb Anthony Bolton and the wife of Troy Bolton – famous basketball star. She was the daughter of Anthony and Carmen Montez, and the best friend of Taylor McKessie-Danforth.

To anyone else, she was the same person.

But to Gabriella, in a matter of minutes, she was someone entirely different.

Lying there, silent tears streaming down her face as she held on to her toddler tightly, Gabriella felt lost. Completely and utterly lost. She knew who she was, but she didn't at the same time.

The old Gabriella – the post-car crash one – had dreamed about this day since the accident. She had imagined having a clear head, finally, and being happy and content with life, along with excited and grateful that she remembered everything.

She never expected to feel sick to her stomach.

She never expected to feel like she still wasn't truly herself.

But most of all, she never expected to wish she hadn't remembered anything…

"_Troy, it's okay. I'm fine. Everything is fine. Please stop worrying…" _

_Troy's sandy brown hair fell across his forehead as his now dark blue eyes stared deeply into her brown ones. _

"_Sorry, Gab. I just…I want this to be perfect for you. I don't want to fuck this up or make you feel uncomfortable or…I just, want this to be special. I feel like I'm not doing a very good job…" _

_Gabriella giggled as Troy lit one last candle on his dresser and then blew out the match. Even though she told herself this was perfectly natural and completely normal for her to be doing, she couldn't help but be a little nervous. _

_And Troy obviously was, too. _

_She had been thinking about it for a while. Ever since they got really serious over the summer after their junior year. Sure they were still in high school, but they had been dating for more than a year and a half, and Gabriella was tired of waiting. It was a month ago that she realized she was ready to take the next step with Troy. She knew the probability of a high school relationship turning into marriage was not the best, but even so, Gabriella couldn't help but feel like she would forever regret not giving herself fully to Troy if they broke up down the road. _

"_You know I love you, right?" _

_Gabriella rested her head on Troy's pillows as he stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at her in the grey and pink dress she wore to his party. Thankfully his parents had willingly decided to go away for the weekend so he could celebrate his eighteenth birthday with all of his friends without any parental interruptions. And now, just a half hour after the party ended, Gabriella and Troy had found their way back to his bedroom. _

"_Of course I know that. You tell me all the time. I love you, too, Troy," Gabriella answered in a small voice, the nerves starting to increase even though they hadn't done anything yet. _

_Troy flashed her a small smile, but she could tell the nerves were eating away at him, too. "Are you sure? One hundred percent sure? I don't want you to feel like you have to do this, or that I won't be with you if you don't…" _

_Gabriella lifted her torso off the bed and grabbed Troy's shirt, pulling him so that he fell awkwardly onto the edge of bed. "I love you, Troy. And we've been dating for over a year and a half. I'm ready for this. Completely ready. One hundred percent ready. Are you?"_

_Troy looked up at Gabriella, amusement creeping over his face for the first time since she dragged him into the bedroom. _

"_Gabi, I've been ready for this since the day I met you…" _

_Gabriella smiled as Troy crawled up the bed and rested over her, hovering above. He gave her a small kiss pulled back to look at her seriously. _

"_If at any point you want me to stop, just say the word and I will. Okay? Promise you will tell me if you want me to stop." _

"_I promise," Gabriella swore. "I'm ready, Troy."_

"_And you want me to be your first?" Troy swallowed. Gabriella understood in that moment what he was so nervous about. He wanted to have sex with her, no doubt. And wanted their first time to be perfect. But he was nervous about taking away her virginity, and if he would hurt her in the process…_

"_Yes, Troy. I love you, and I want you to be my first," Gabriella reassured Troy. _

_She slowly lifted her head off the pillow and wrapped her hand around Troy's neck, bringing his face down to her lips so she could give him a loving kiss. _

_Troy's lust seemed to have returned to him and he lowered his body onto Gabriella's while carefully not putting too much pressure on her. His lips remained fastened to hers and he gently ran a hand up her left side. Troy used his other hand to grab her right calf and hitch her leg around his waist. _

_This was typical stuff for Troy and Gabriella. They had been having hot and heavy make out sessions for the past six months, attempting to release some of their sexual frustration. Though those hours on the bed were great, both knew there was only one way to really release all that emotion._

_Troy pulled back as Gabriella unfastened the final button on his dress shirt. He helped her slide it off his arms and threw it to the side as he bent back down to fasten their lips together once more. Gabriella could feel Troy's erection pressing into her thigh. Rather than making her nervous, she found herself excited for what was to come. _

_Troy finally broke away from her mouth and began peppering kisses down her neck as his right hand traveled underneath her dress and up her thigh. _

"_We need to get you out of this…" Troy murmured in a husky tone. Woah. That voice made Gabriella ridiculously hot. _

_Troy slid both his hands around her back and pulled her up once she fastened her arms around his neck. Troy tugged at the zipper and slid the fabric over Gabriella's shoulders and down her body, revealing a hot pink bra with white polka dots, complimented by matching bottoms. _

"_Holy fuck, Gab…" Troy muttered, admiring her for a moment before bringing his gaze back up to her face. "You're so gorgeous. I'm so damn lucky…" _

_Gabriella blushed as she pulled at Troy's undershirt. He tugged it off and threw it aside with the rest of their clothing and it was Gabriella's turn to ogle at his defined chest. How did _she_ get so lucky?_

_Troy slid out of his khaki shorts, leaving him in only his gray boxers. He pressed his lips to Gabriella's once more and let out a moan as her tongue swept across his lip. _

"_I love you, Gab," Troy mumbled as he brought his hand around to her back, fingering her bra clasp. _

"_I love you, too, Troy," Gabriella sighed, never getting tired of hearing him remind her._

_Troy snapped the clasp and guided the straps down her shoulders and eventually off her body, leaving her exposed._

_Gabriella felt the warmth rush to her cheeks as she blushed, fighting the urge to bring her arms up to cover herself. _

"_Jesus…" Troy muttered, kissing Gabriella with as much passion as he could muster while bringing his hand up to fondle her breasts. Gabriella gasped at the sensation, causing Troy to kiss her harder. _

_Gabriella reached down in between them to slip her hand underneath Troy's boxers. He stiffened, and then suddenly pulled away to slide off her panties and his boxers within seconds. _

_Gabriella and Troy had been waiting for the moment for a long time. After caressing and showing their love for each other, Troy slipped on a condom and positioned himself at her entrance. Gabriella looked into his eyes and saw an intense love reflected back at her. She knew in that moment that this was the right decision. She loved Troy so much and she wanted to share a special part of her with him. _

"_This might hurt a little, Gab. I'm so sorry if it does. I don't want to hurt you, Baby." _

_Gabriella nodded, tensing up as she closed her eyes tightly._

"_Gab…" Troy whispered in her ear, his warm breath making Gabriella shiver. "You need to relax. Can you relax for me?" _

_The brunette nodded, opening her eyes to see Troy smiling softly at her. She smiled back, kissing him once more on the lips. _

"_Just you and me, Gabriella," Troy muttered before he slid into her, pausing for a moment for her to adjust to the sensation. _

"_Okay, Baby?" Troy asked in a concerned, but strained voice. Gabriella nodded, silently urging him to continue. _

_With a final thrust, Troy broke through her barrier and filled her completely. Gabriella winced at the pain, turning her head so Troy couldn't see the tiny tear that leaked out of her eye. He noticed, though, and his hand immediately came up to wipe it away. _

"_Does it hurt, Baby? I'm so sorry, Gab. I'm going to make you feel better, okay? I promise…" _

_Troy began to slide in and out of her, moments later triggering the most intense, pleasurable sensation Gabriella had ever experienced._

_Troy fell to her side, chest heaving for a second before he turned and brought her into his arms._

"_I love you so much…that was the best birthday present ever," he whispered, kissing her hair._

"_That was…incredible," Gabriella said in a breathless tone, turning to look at Troy's beaming face. "I love you, too."_

_Troy cuddled closer to Gabriella and held her tightly, begging her not to leave him alone on the night of his birthday. Carmen wasn't so excited about the idea, however, and Gabriella had to leave two hours later. _

_She had been nervous about the next day, but the moment she showed up at Troy's doorstep he swept her off her feet with a passionate kiss and dragged her inside, telling her how much he missed her the night before._

Gabriella closed her eyes, the silence of the room leaving her to her own thoughts as she felt fresh tears stream down her face. It had never been awkward between them. Troy had always been so self-assured and confident about their relationship and how much he loved her. Even after sleeping together for the first time there was no tension…

But having sex for the first time since Gabriella's accident had been different. She remembered the look on Troy's face as he stared at her after his basketball game the day after they slept together. The hurt on his face was unbearable, not to mention the tears she saw pooling in his eyes in the kitchen later that night as he tried to keep his composure, thinking she had just used him for sex and didn't really care.

Gabriella closed her eyes even tighter as she let out a silent sob. She remembered the look on Troy's face after she slept with him a second time - right after telling him about the baby.

_"Please, Gabriella. Please don't say anything right now. Can we just…lay here? Just for a little while?"_

He had pleaded with her to pretend everything was normal, and that the sex actually did mean something for her. Gabriella buried her face deeply into the pillows as the hot tears began to soak them.

Sex had always meant a lot to Troy, and Gabriella had been treating it so casually before they finally got back together two months before. Sure, she knew she loved him, but he didn't know that, so it wasn't real. He was hurt by the fact that he thought she didn't consider sex with him that important…

"_I just…this means so much to me. Being with you like this. I don't want it to fuck anything up. I can't…I know you said you love me, but I don't think…I could handle it if this didn't…mean anything to you. Damn Gab, I'm sorry I'm just a - "_

Gabriella squeezed Caleb a little tighter to her, kissing him on the forehead before slowly getting out of her bed and making her way to the master bathroom. She grabbed a Kleenex off the counter to wipe away her tears. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, looking at a shell of what she used to be.

"_Troy, what's wrong?"_

"_Nothing. Sorry…"_

"_You've been acting kind of strange all night. Are you sure you're okay?" _

"_Yeah, Gab. I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Troy whispered into her ear. The couple was having dinner at a resort restaurant with his parents, celebrating Troy's first professional basketball season for what seemed like the tenth time. _

"_This food is absolutely delicious! We should go to nice places more often!" Lucille complimented, giving Jack a nudge in the shoulder. Gabriella loved watching them tease each other. _

_Jack retorted with some sarcastic remark under his breath when Gabriella noticed Troy was staring at her with an intense look again._

"_Troy!" she whispered harshly under her breath, "Stop looking at me like that, you're making me nervous…"_

"_Sorry," Troy apologized once more, averting his gaze from his girlfriend and looking around the restaurant. Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before sighing and looking back at Lucille, who seemed to be looking at her son with a look of…compassion? Was there something she was missing?_

_Gabriella continued to talk to Troy's parents about her new job at NGI while Troy remained silent, wearing an introspective look on his face. He had been really quiet the entire night, even on the car ride over to the restaurant. _

_Gabriella felt Troy's gaze on her once again as they were getting dessert, and she whipped her head around to ask him what his problem was. Before she could say a word, Troy let out a frustrated sigh and excused himself, pushing back his chair and walking away from the table. _

_Gabriella stared at her boyfriend's retreating form, absolutely shocked. _

"_Don't mind him, honey. He has a lot on his mind tonight…" Lucille said gently, grabbing Gabriella's hand from across the table and giving it a squeeze. _

"_Is he nervous about his first game? That's still three weeks away…" Gabriella asked quietly._

_Jack shook his head, letting her know that clearly wasn't the case._

"_Is he…is he okay? He's okay, right? He's not sick or anything, right?" Gabriella frantically asked, feeling her pulse race as visions of horrible diseases sped through her mind. _

"_No, honey. He's fine. He just needs some time…" Lucille comforted her son's girlfriend. _

_Gabriella stared off at the far end of the restaurant, where she could see Troy on the phone with his hand pulling on his hair. He only did that when he was frustrated. Was he frustrated with her?_

_Without thinking, the brunette slid back her chair and threw her cloth napkin on the table, marching across the restaurant with a purposeful stride. Troy saw her out of the corner of his eye moments before she reached him. _

"_Look I got to go. I'll call you later," Troy spoke into the phone before he ended the call and looked at Gabriella with an expression of both fear and curiosity. _

"_What's up?" _

"_What's up? What's up? Troy you've been acting weird all night. And it's really starting to freak me out, okay? Why don't you tell me what the hell is going on…" Gabriella demanded, her hands on her hips._

_Troy avoided her gaze and looked anywhere but at her. "It's nothing. Please just trust me on that…" _

"_Troy…" Gabriella sighed, her anger disappearing as she noticed how uncomfortable her boyfriend looked at the moment. "Why don't we go outside for some fresh air on the patio?"_

_The young man froze for a second before nodding. He took Gabriella's hand and led her outside. _

_The patio was absolutely beautiful. A stone fountain was lit up in the center and water cascaded down into a clear pool. There were lush, green trees everywhere and beautiful black benches with intricate designs lining the area. And surprisingly, there was no one in sight. _

_Troy and Gabriella strolled around the patio for a while, silently admiring the beauty of the place. It was the perfect temperature outside, and overall it was the most perfect night. _

_Troy suddenly let go of Gabriella's hand and stepped in front of her, turning around to look her in the eye. He took a deep breath, and then cupped her cheek in his hand. _

"_I love you…" Troy murmured, earning a smile from Gabriella. _

"_I love you so much, Gab. More than anything… I just…shit. This sounded so much better in my head…" _

_Gabriella frowned, wondering why Troy was getting so visibly frustrated and upset. _

_And then it dawned on her. _

"_Oh my God…" Gabriella gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. _

_Troy looked up at her, his face appearing as though he were a deer in the headlights. "Um…I wanted to ask you in the right way, but - "_

"_You want me to move in with you?" Gabriella asked quietly, looking up at Troy, completely shocked. _

_Troy mirrored her own expression, his eyes growing wide in fear. "Oh, shit. I probably should've asked you that first…"_

_Gabriella stood there in front of her boyfriend of six years, trying to figure out what was going on. Was he not asking her to move in with him?_

_Troy suddenly turned away from Gabriella, running a hand through his hair once more, muttering to himself. "I've totally fucked this up. Why do I always fuck things up?"_

_Gabriella took a step closer to her boyfriend, reaching out her hand to touch his arm. "Please tell me what's going on, Troy. I don't know what you're talking about. If you're not ready for me to move in with you that's fine. I can wait."_

_Troy whipped around, looking at Gabriella with a serious expression before letting his eyes close. Once he reopened them, it appeared as though Troy gained back all of his composure. _

"_Gabriella, we've been together for six years. We've survived high school and the long distance of college. I want you to move in with me. Not just that, but I always want you with me. Not just for a couple months or a year, but forever._

"_I'm obviously not very good at this. We were supposed to go here by ourselves and then my parents asked if they could come so they could be a 'part of the experience'" Gabriella giggled as Troy did his best to impersonate Lucille, "and I decided maybe tonight just wasn't the right night to ask you. I wanted this to be perfect, because you deserve nothing less. So I was going to hold off, and then…you look so amazing tonight, Gabriella. You're so gorgeous, and I just…can't wait any longer. I have to ask you…"_

_Gabriella felt her heart speed up as her mind worked in overdrive, deciphering Troy's words. He wasn't going to ask her to move in with him. Oh, no. He was going to ask something that meant a whole lot more. _

_Troy stuck his hand in his pants pocket and pulled out a red velvet ring box, earning a gasp from Gabriella. _

_He tore his gaze from the ring box and looked up at her, his eyes filled with insecurity. _

_And then, Gabriella watched as Troy lowered himself onto one knee in front of her. _

"_I can't even put into words the way I feel about you. I can't describe how much love I have for you. You're everything to me. Everything I want and everything I don't deserve. I want to wake up to your beautiful face every morning and fall asleep holding you every night. I want a house in the suburbs with our own master bedroom and two sinks in our bathroom so we can brush our teeth together every morning. I want to eat breakfast next to you and share every possible moment of my life with you. I don't…I can't lose you, Gabriella. I can't live without you…_

"_Because of that, I want to ask you a very important question. And I know how you are with big decisions, and I respect that, so I want you to take all the time you need to think about this, okay? Don't feel bad if you can't answer right away."_

_Troy took a deep breath as tears streamed out of Gabriella's eyes. _

"_Gabriella Anne Montez…I promise that I will always be there for you, through the good times and the bad, and I will never stop loving you. Will you consider marrying me?"_

_Gabriella looked down at Troy in complete shock, tears still streaming down her face._

"_What? Consider it?" She asked quietly._

_Troy swallowed, looking at the ground and trying to steady his shaking hands as he returned his gaze to her brown orbs, fear clearly evident in his blue eyes. _

"_I, uh, asked you to consider marrying me…" Troy said quietly, a tiny blush forming over his cheeks. _

"_Troy…" Gabriella closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. Troy had no idea how perfect this was. It wasn't the type of proposal she had been dreaming about ever since getting her promise ring sophomore year of college…it was better. _

_This had Troy written all over it. The insecurity, the awkwardness, and even the fact that he didn't need an answer right away. He knew her so well. _

"_I'm don't need to consider it, Troy…" Gabriella said softly, watching as Troy's mouth dropped open in shock before undeniable hurt washed over his face. _

_Troy nodded, standing back up and looking down at the ring box. He swallowed, trying to control his breathing. He was absolutely crushed. _

"_Okay…" Troy said awkwardly. "Um…I'll take you home now."_

_Gabriella felt horrible as she realized Troy didn't understand her message. He turned his back to her and started walking back to the restaurant. _

"_Yes!" Gabriella called out, causing Troy to freeze. He slowly turned around to face her, confusion mixed in with the hurt on his face. _

"_Troy, honey, I don't need to consider a marriage proposal from you. I know it's a big step and a big decision but I don't need time to figure out an answer. It may be one of the biggest decisions of my life, but it's also the easiest one I will ever make."_

_Troy stared back at her with his hands in his pockets. "What are you saying?"  
_

_Gabriella flashed Troy a small, shy smile. "I'm saying yes, Troy. I'm saying I would love you marry you. I'm saying there's no one else in the world for me but you, and I want to be your wife." _

_There was a silence for ten seconds as Troy stared at Gabriella, motionless. Her heart started to pound as she wondered what was going through his head…_

"_Yes?" Troy asked, slowly walking back towards her. _

"_Yes." Gabriella answered in a strong, sure voice. _

_Troy ran the rest of the way back to Gabriella and scooped her up into his arms, twirling her around as she giggled. When he set her down he pressed his lips to hers fiercely, holding her body tightly to his. _

"_I love you so much, Gab…" Troy proclaimed passionately, smiling widely as he reached into his pocket, pulling out the red velvet ring box. _

_Gabriella gasped as she saw the round-cut diamond ring. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. _

"_I love you, too," Gabriella whispered as Troy finally replaced her promise ring with the engagement ring. _

Gabriella let out another sob, sliding down against the cabinets and sitting on the floor. She couldn't stop the tears rushing down her face.

His proposal was perfect. And then she sent him divorce papers. Oh, God. What had she done? What had she done to him for the past 9 months?

_"It's okay, Gab. I really don't want to talk about it right now."_

Gabriella remembered the look on his face. He couldn't even talk to her about it without breaking down, so he just chose not to.

_"I turned in the paperwork on my way home. We have a meeting tomorrow at the I &H firm. Three-thirty,"_

And he signed them. Even though it killed him to do it, just because he loved her enough to let her go if that's what she wanted.

He loved her so much.

She had been so horrible to him.

And yet, he continued to love her, to care about her.

_"Gabriella, this is fucking ridiculous. I got the papers, okay? So you don't need to avoid me. It's fine. Everything's fine. We can figure this out like the mature adults we are. But we can't figure anything out unless you're __alive!__Please__ let me get some sleep Gabriella. I'm so fucking worried about you that I can't do anything but let my mind run wild with awful scenarios. __Please__ call me. __Please__. Caleb missed you tonight, too. If not for me, come home for Caleb. __Please…__"_

Gabriella lifted her head up, looking at the high ceiling of the bathroom. She wiped the tears off her cheeks with her hand, all the while knowing it was useless because a lot more were bound to come.

How was she ever going to face her husband?


	28. Believe Me

**And I present chapter 26…one more chapter and the epilogue after this. **

**Oh, and FYI. This chapter definitely deserves an M rating. **

**Enjoy. And thanks for all the reviews. They're so sweet!**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 26: Believe Me**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

Time was moving way too fast.

She wished it would slow down.

Standing in the local baby boutique that she used to always visit when she was pregnant with Caleb, Gabriella realized that now matter how much she wished for time to freeze, it would always appear to be moving faster.

Which meant she would have to confront Troy that much sooner.

"Mommy, I like this one!" Caleb exclaimed, pointing to a tiny pink crib in the corner of the store.

Gabriella felt her heart ache. "You have great taste, sweetie. That was exactly the crib I came to buy…" _And the same crib Troy wanted to get before he found out Caleb was a boy._

Gabriella had never experienced the feelings of dread she had been feeling all day. After remembering Troy's proposal, she remained in the master bathroom, sobbing until Caleb came in and asked what was wrong. She pulled it together to make them lunch, but as soon as Caleb asked to visit Troy at his practice, she rushed right back to the bathroom. Just the thought of seeing him made her so nervous she threw up her entire meal. She was officially the worst wife ever, and she couldn't believe Troy was still with her after all she put him through. What was she going to say to him now that she remembered her husband? She knew him better than anyone in the world, but for the first time in a long time (not including the period when she lost her memory, of course) she didn't know how to act.

While she was nervous about seeing Troy, she also found that a strange sensation swept over her shortly after lunch.

She _wanted_ to see him. Really badly.

She wanted to hold herself tightly to him and never let go. She wanted to feel his arms wrapped around her, comforting her and protecting her. She wanted to feel his kisses on the top of her head and his body on top of hers. She wanted to press her lips to his and get lost in the utter bliss that resulted from it.

When Gabriella thought about seeing her husband, she felt fear.

But she also experienced relief, because she would see the man she was completely, utterly, and totally in love with. He was her Troy, and she loved him more than she could put into words. He wasn't just her husband and best friend; he was her whole world. And not being around him just didn't seem right.

But nevertheless, she was still nervous.

Gabriella was feeling so anxious about the entire situation that she made an impromptu visit to Dr. Weber, dragging Caleb along while she requested an appointment with him.

It almost surprised her that his schedule was cleared immediately to see her. She didn't think she was that important of a case, but maybe Dr. Weber actually cared about her. That was a nice change from some of the other doctors she had before.

Weber was absolutely over the moon when Gabriella confessed she got all of her memory back. She knew who she was, who everyone in her life was, and she remembered every little detail about the past decade of her life. Dr. Weber had requested a few scans to see her brain function, and to his surprise nothing had changed. He was absolutely fascinated by it, and rambled on and on about certain cases he had studied and how they were different. He threw in a bunch of medical terms that Gabriella didn't understand very well, and after a while he finally seemed to pick up on the fact that she wasn't following him. He seemed to recognize that she wasn't excited about getting her memory back.

Dr. Weber requested that she see a counselor at the hospital twice a week – one day by herself, and one day with Troy. He was worried about her negative feelings toward the whole situation and wanted to make sure she got assistance in gradually getting back to her normal life with Troy and Caleb.

What had Gabriella shaking the entire time was the fact that she didn't even know how Troy was going to react about the situation. She knew he had been hoping for her to get her memory back since the accident, but she had requested that he quit asking about it.

Regardless, he never lost hope this whole time. Even when she did, Troy always had a glimmer of hope in his eyes when she said something that reminded him of the past.

She was such a bitch. How could he have stayed with her? She didn't understand…

_"I've hurt you…" _

_Troy turned around and stared at her from across the room, his own eyes beginning to water as he nodded._

_"Yeah."_

Gabriella closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. She just needed to buy this crib and then she could go home and let herself go once more. But right now, she needed to hold it together for Caleb.

Gabriella lifted her toddler up onto her hip and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek as she walked toward the register. He was so adorable. She couldn't believe she had forgotten all about him and his fascinating first 2 years of life. She loved him so much, and he had been so strong throughout her accident. Caleb was going to be a great big brother.

"Hi, Ma'am. How can I help you?" An older lady working the register smiled brightly at Gabriella, quickly glancing over at Caleb. "He's adorable! How old?"

Gabriella smiled. She wasn't the only one who saw how incredibly cute he was. "He's three."

"Three? Well if he looks like that at three he's definitely going to be a heartbreaker when he's older. The girls will be all over him."

Gabriella grinned. She and Troy had thought the exact same thing after he was born. He resembled his handsome father way more than his mother.

"And it looks like you've got another one on the way!" The cashier exclaimed, her smile growing wider.

Gabriella felt a wave of bliss roll through her at the mention of her daughter. It was unexpected, but needed. She was so excited to meet her little girl in September.

"Yes, I do. And I would like to buy that little pink crib back there," Gabriella pointed to the corner of the store, "for her. I might need some help loading the box into my car, though."

"Not a problem, dear. I'll just ring that up for you and have my co-worker, Greg, bring it to your car."

Gabriella handed over her debit card to the cashier and returned her attention to the smiling Caleb on her lip when she heard a gasp. The cashier looked at Gabriella with an awestruck expression.

"Gabriella Bolton? Troy Bolton's wife?" she asked incredulously.

The brunette felt a deep ache at the mention of her husband's name as she nodded.

"How exciting! Congratulations on the new addition to the family! My sons love to watch Troy Bolton play basketball. They never miss a Redhawks game…"

Gabriella forced herself to put on a big smile, "That's wonderful. Troy is hoping he can get the Redhawks past this first series and hopefully make it to the championship."

"How exciting would that be for Albuquerque?" The cashier gushed, "Did you know that we have Redhawks' themed baby items here? We even have a poster of Troy Bolton! See? Right there!"

The cashier pointed to the right side of the store, which was typically reserved for boy items, and Gabriella saw the most adorable Redhawks bedding set. Right above it on the wall was a gigantic poster of her husband holding a basketball under his arm with a big grin on his face.

_Oh, shit…_

"I'll be right back. I need to use your restroom quickly. You know, baby's pushing on the bladder…" Gabriella lied before she grabbed her debit card, practically running to the back of the store. Once Gabriella locked the door to the single-person bathroom she set Caleb down and began to sob.

She had been so sure she could hold it together, but seeing Troy's face just made it worse. She had managed not to look at any of the pictures in their house the entire day, but looking at him in the store made her feel sick. If she couldn't even face a picture of him, how was she supposed to face him tonight when he came home?

Caleb stood in front of his mother, his bottom lip wobbling as she attempted to pull it together. She was scaring her little boy, and she hated doing that. Gabriella closed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand to try and cover up her sobs. She heard rustling and figured Caleb was digging through her purse for gum. He was probably trying to distract himself from his mother's emotional breakdown.

"_I know you didn't deliberately try to hurt me. This has just hurt so much because I am crazy in love with you."_

He was so damn perfect. She took him for granted. She really did.

"Daddy?" Gabriella's eyes snapped open at Caleb's voice, and her heart stopped as she saw his ear pressed up to her cell phone. Tears started to flood his eyes as he looked at his mother. "Mommy's weally sad. She's cwying and I'm scared."

Her little boy's trembling voice caused her to let out another tiny sob. She reached out for the cell phone but Caleb threw it back in her purse, ending the call.

"Daddy didn't answer…" Caleb said sadly as Gabriella leaned down and she wrapped her son in a big hug, giving herself a minute to control her breathing. Once she knew she had control of the tears, she pulled back to look at her toddler.

"I'm sorry sweetie. I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?" Gabriella asked gently, running a hand through his sandy hair.

Caleb nodded before throwing his arms around his mother once more. "Are you sad, Mommy?"

Gabriella swallowed the lump in her throat. "A little bit sweetie, but I'm also really happy. What I would like to know, however, is who taught you to use a cell phone?"

Caleb grinned brightly, mistaking Gabriella's curiosity for praise. "Daddy did. 'Fore he went to pway ball when it was cold…"

Gabriella nodded, understanding toddler-speak.

Troy showed Caleb how to use a phone before he went on his first away game trip after her accident? Interesting…

"Alright, Buddy. Let's go get your sister's crib in the car…"

"Bubbles' crib?" Caleb asked curiously, completely distracted as he looked at his mom.

"Bubbles?"

"Bubbles! My sister!" Caleb screeched in his tiny, high-pitched voice, grinning brightly.

"You named your sister Bubbles? Why, honey?" Gabriella giggled at her son. Bubbles? Like the Powerpuff girl?

"'Cause she looks like a big bubble!" Caleb pointed to Gabriella's stomach and the brunette laughed. Her toddler was so cute.

"She's not going to look like that forever, hotshot. C'mon, silly…"

Gabriella walked back out into the store, her face composed and her emotions under control. She smiled at the cashier as she walked outside to her car, noticing that Greg had already brought the box out to the curb.

It only took a brief minute to load the box into the car and Gabriella was on her way. She contemplated going back to her house but decided she needed some fresh air after her breakdown, and instead pulled into the local park in their neighborhood.

Caleb screeched in excitement as Gabriella unbuckled him from his booster seat. The little toddler took off running at full speed to the sand box and immediately started playing in the sand. Gabriella sighed, glad that her child was happy, and made her way over to the bench next to the playground.

She watched as Caleb politely introduced himself to another boy in the sand box. The three year-old held out his hand to shake in greeting.

He was growing up so fast. He was polite to adults and kids his age, had manners, knew how to work a cell phone…

…_oh, shit. Troy's voicemail. _

Gabriella dug through her purse to find her phone, clutching it tightly as she realized she had a missed call from Troy.

_Shit._

She had completely forgotten about the fact that Caleb left Troy a voicemail – with her sobbing in the background no less. This was perfect. Now she probably had Troy worried and she'd have to explain the entire situation to him tonight.

She never wanted to run more in her life.

Even more than when she had petitioned for a divorce.

Even more than when she found out she was pregnant.

And even more than when Troy confronted her about why she wanted a divorce.

But as Gabriella sat watching her son play with his new friend, she knew in her heart she had already made the decision.

She tried to run before, and her whole life had been blown to pieces because of it…

_"No! I can't accept this, Gabriella. I love you. And you love me, too. Isn't that enough reason to try and work this out? I know our situation is beyond fucked up, but we can do this. I know we can. We just have to put in the effort. Spending more time together, counseling, whatever. I'll do anything…"_

She remembered the huge fight her and Troy had in the foyer of their house. She could still see his face in her mind, tears streaking down his cheeks. Troy hardly ever cried. Come to think about it, she had never seen him cry as much as he had in the months after her accident.

She did that to him. She hurt him that much that she managed to break through the steel concrete wall that surrounded his emotions.

_"In five years, Gabriella, I'm __still__ going to be miserable without you! I don't even want to think about a life without you! I don't want some other woman, Gabriella! I love __you__! Please don't do this to us!"_

He had been so desperate to convince her not to leave him. She remembered how she had never seen Troy so broken before. She could tell he felt helpless. Like he was drowning and had no way to keep himself up.

_"I thought…I woke up and you weren't there. And then you weren't in the apartment, either. I… I thought you left me again. And…I…I'm sorry I didn't see the note. I just was too caught up in the possibility that even though I thought everything was good between us, something went wrong. For a couple minutes I thought that… sex had screwed over our relationship again." _

Even after they had gotten back together he was still insecure. His actions in the months following her accident demonstrated to Gabriella just how much Troy loved her. Sure, before the accident he would always tell her how he felt and shower her with gifts and affection, but seeing Troy so insecure about whether or not Gabriella would stay with him opened her eyes to how much he needed her in his life.

And she felt the same way about him.

"_And then you're still affectionate and I feel like I still have a chance to reconcile what we had, especially after you tell me you're pregnant with my child and then you…we __make love__. And it's fucking amazing, and that gets my hopes up so high, but then they're crushed when you tell me it doesn't mean anything." _

Gabriella felt extreme guilt, making her feel sick to her stomach. She had used Troy's love for her against him – without even realizing it at the time. She had used him to satisfy her needs, knowing that Troy would never say no to sex with her. What she remembered now, but hadn't known then, was just how important sex was to Troy. It meant so much more than just a quick release, but that's exactly what Gabriella had treated it as. And because of that mentality, she had deeply hurt Troy.

She had absolutely crushed him when she claimed that sex didn't mean anything. And remembering how hurt and broken Troy became because of it, Gabriella easily made up her mind.

She wasn't going to run this time.

She was going to admit that the turmoil of the last nine months was all her fault. She was going to apologize endlessly to Troy, and then…

…she was going to beg for his forgiveness and pray that he still wanted to be with her.

Gabriella felt her cell phone vibrate as Troy's name popped up on the screen once more. She knew she should answer the phone, but she needed to see him, to talk to him face-to-face.

Gabriella let Troy's call go to her voicemail. She took a deep breath and watched her son enjoy the playground. For the first time all day, a content feeling settled over her.

If the past nine months had taught Gabriella anything, it was that she and Troy were destined to be together. They had endured so many obstacles and overcome them. Maybe not with the finesse either would have liked, but nonetheless they had beaten the odds. Gabriella owed it to Troy to let him make the decision as to what was best for him this time.

She knew in her heart that was the right choice. She loved Troy too much to see him hurt again.

Gabriella's phone beeped, signaling she had a voicemail. Holding her breath, she accessed her mailbox and listened to the dreaded message.

_Gabriella? Are you okay? Caleb called me and he sounded really scared. I heard you crying, and…is it the baby? Oh, God, Gabi. I'm on my way home from practice now. I'll see you soon. I hope you're okay, Baby. I love you. _

Gabriella felt tears leak out of her eyes at the sound of Troy's voice. How was she going to face him without breaking down?

Knowing that Troy would be worried if she wasn't home when he got there, Gabriella decided to give Caleb only ten more minutes of play time before they would head back, hopefully getting there before Troy. She took that time to steady her breathing. She could do this. She could have a mature conversation with her husband, the love of her life, her best friend, without breaking down.

Gabriella was brought back to reality as her son started yelling in excitement, staring at Gabriella. The brunette was wondering why Caleb was so animated when she heard tires screech on the road behind her. She whipped her head around to see Troy's car slam on the breaks at the stop sign next to the park, before quickly reversing and pulling into the parking lot.

Gabriella felt her heart stop as her husband jumped out of his truck and quickly made his way toward the bench she was sitting on.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Troy for the first time since getting her memory back. He was so damn gorgeous and perfect. She never failed to be awestruck every time she saw him, wondering how a guy like him could be interested in someone like her. He was patient, kind, loving, polite…and so ridiculously sexy.

"Gabriella! Are you okay? What's going on?" Troy asked, his worry and fear obvious as he approached the bench.

_Oh, shit._ She was a goner.

Seeing her husband in the flesh triggered Gabriella's tears, and as much as she tried to think about the right thing to say to him, all she paid attention to was the overwhelming desire to be in his arms at the moment.

Gabriella quickly stood up from the bench and threw herself into Troy's arms, sobbing for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day. Troy wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his head in her neck, kissing her softly there.

"Please tell me you're okay, Baby. What's going on? I've been so worried…"

Gabriella couldn't find the words to speak, so she clutched herself tighter to her fearful husband. He was the same as he had always been. Perfect in every way. More bulked up, a little bit older, but nonetheless, the same.

He was her Troy.

"Gab…" Troy said, exasperated.

"I'm sorry…" Gabriella said tearfully, and Troy leaned his head down so he was at her eye level.

"What are you sorry for? What happened, sweetheart? Is it the baby?" Troy questioned curiously, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Nothing's wrong with the baby, Troy. And…it's just…" Gabriella stared back at her worried husband and decided that now wasn't the time to discuss her memory. Blurting out that she remembered everything about her life in front of strangers at a public park was not the right place for the discussion. Now was the time for her to appreciate what was in front of her. To think about how hard they had worked to get to this point…

She would tell him, of course, but not right now.

"It's just pregnancy hormones. For some reason I can't even look at a picture of you without crying today. I missed you so much while you were at practice…"

Gabriella clutched herself closer to her husband. He was here. He was really here, standing in front of her. And he had no idea she remembered who he was…

"Aw, Gab. Honey… I missed you, too, Baby," Troy pulled Gabriella tighter, chuckling softly as she fisted his shirt.

"Don't laugh. I can't help it…" Gabriella playfully scolded her husband. It was weird how natural their interaction felt. It was like the car accident never happened.

But then again, they had always been so comfortable around each other, complementing each other perfectly.

"I'm sorry, Gabi. I love that fact that you missed me so much, 'cause I missed you like crazy, too…" Troy leaned down and pressed his lips softly to hers, making Gabriella's heart flutter. Holy shit, his kisses were still just as wonderful as they had always been.

Gabriella felt the blood boil beneath her skin as Troy moved an arm to the small of her back, pressing her tightly against him. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled at his hair.

"Fuck…" Troy mumbled, pulling back from her lips for a moment. "I need to get you into bed…now. It's been too long."

Gabriella giggled, grabbing her purse and calling for Caleb to come over to her. She connected her hand with Troy's, lacing their fingers together as a way to maintain contact with him.

"Troy we just had sex this morning. In the shower?"

The basketball star grinned, leaning down to steal another kiss. "Like I said, it's been too long."

"DADDY!"

"Hey, Buddy! How's my little man?" Troy laughed as his toddler hugged him tightly around the legs. Troy bent down to pick him up.

"Good! Mommy and I went to the baby store and saw a pwetty pink bed for my sister and then she took me here!"

"A pretty pink crib? Really? Did Mommy buy it?" Troy asked his toddler, glancing at Gabriella with a big smile on his face.

"Yep. She buyed it and then we went to the park," Caleb confirmed proudly. Troy laughed and ruffled his son's hair before pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. Caleb rested his tiny head on Troy's shoulder, letting out a deep sigh. He was already tired.

"Time for someone's afternoon nap…" Gabriella muttered, with Troy nodding in agreement.

"C'mon, Buddy. Let's get you home," Troy said as the three began to walk towards the parking lot. Troy pulled Gabriella a little closer to him with his free hand and whispered into her ear, "I want to see this crib…"

Gabriella smiled at him before getting into her car. Troy took Caleb in his truck, putting the toddler in the booster seat he kept in the back. The sight of Troy strapping in her toddler made her heart warm every time she saw it. Even though Troy sometimes went out with the guys after a game or practice, he never took out Caleb's seat from his car. He kept it there even after some of his teammates gave him crap for it. Some basketball players felt that having kids ruined their image, but not Troy. He was one of those fathers that carried around pictures of his kid in his wallet, showing anyone who wanted to see Caleb.

Troy waved at Gabriella as he backed out of the parking lot and turned onto the main road in their neighborhood. Gabriella sat in her car for a moment, taking a deep breath.

She did it.

She successfully managed to have a conversation with her husband without completely breaking down. Sure, there were some tears, but she was able to pull it together and be what he needed – a loving wife.

He seemed so happy. Even though he was worried about her, Gabriella could tell by looking into his eyes that he loved her just as much now as he did before the accident. If anything, his love had grown. He really cared about her.

And God, she loved him so very much, too.

Gabriella rested her head on the steering wheel for a minute, closing her eyes and trying to form some kind of plan for telling Troy about her memory. She needed to do it when they were alone, obviously. But how was she going to bring up that kind of a topic?

She had to figure out a way to discuss the issue in a mature manner without breaking down into tears. She figured she would have to initiate this discussion sooner rather than later, out of respect for her husband. She couldn't imagine what his reaction would be if she waited months to tell him. He would be so hurt, and that would make this difficult situation even worse.

But she couldn't just spring it on him. This was going to take a while to sink in. She was going to have to apologize profusely and beg for him to take her back. She would do anything to make up for how she treated him after the accident.

Maybe she could take him out to dinner? But that seemed too public. She needed to discuss this somewhere private, where they couldn't be interrupted.

She would have to tell him at the house.

But was tonight the right night?

Gabriella sighed, running a hand through her hair. She wanted to desperately tell Troy about her memory, but at the same time she was terrified that it would change things. It seemed like Troy was in a good place, and she didn't want to shake up the fragile bubble they were living in. She wanted him to be happy. She didn't want to ruin anything.

Maybe she would wait until tomorrow.

But then he had a basketball game. She couldn't possibly screw with his head before an important game.

She would just have to wait for the right time…whenever that was.

Gabriella felt content with that decision as she lifted her head off the steering wheel and started the car. She turned onto the main road and made her way to the house.

Her peaceful feeling disappeared as soon as she saw Troy standing in the driveway with Caleb on his hip. Was he waiting for her?

Gabriella looked at her dashboard. Troy had left the park ten minutes before her.

_Whoops_.

Troy made his way over to Gabriella as she climbed out of her car. He handed Caleb to her without a word before walking around to the trunk, taking out the box for the baby's crib.

The couple made their way into the house in silence. Gabriella decided to take her little boy upstairs and tuck him into his racecar bed. Caleb briefly protested, wanting to play with his toys, but once his head hit the pillow the little boy let out a big yawn before promptly falling asleep.

Gabriella walked across the upstairs hallway to find her husband in the nursery. He had carried the box upstairs and was now looking around the room at all of the baby stuff they had collected.

"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly, startling Gabriella.

"Yeah, Troy. I'm fine. Why?"

Gabriella pulled her brunette curls into a messy ponytail as she walked into the center of the room to stand next to Troy.

"I don't mean to sound paranoid, but where did you go? Why did you take so long to get home?"

Troy's blue eyes looked at Gabriella intensely, and she saw the confusion and fear deep within them.

She realized at that moment that he wasn't sure if her mood had something to do with him.

She almost burst into tears at the thought that Troy would believe he was at fault for her mood. He was so considerate and tried so hard to be a good husband. And it was clear that he was afraid he had made a mistake or upset Gabriella. She could tell he still feared that she would leave him…

"I…had to call my mom. Sorry, I didn't mean to be so late. That was inconsiderate of me," Gabriella looked down at the ground as she lied to her husband. She couldn't stare into his gorgeous blue eyes.

"Oh. Okay. How's Carmen?"

Gabriella looked away as she tried to gain her composure. He believed her so easily. Gabriella could tell that there was no doubt in his mind that she actually had been talking to her mom. He was so trusting…and it was because he loved her so much.

She hated lying to him. Gabriella was looking forward to having no more secrets after she finally told him about her memory. She wanted things to return to normal…she just wasn't sure how to go about doing that.

"She's great. She said hi," Gabriella sighed, before grabbing a pair of scissors to open the crib box.

Troy smiled brightly, giving Gabriella butterflies.

"Good to hear. I tried to meet her for breakfast when I was in Phoenix but it didn't work out. Maybe I can see her when the team goes back out there next week."

Gabriella couldn't help herself as she set down the scissors and wrapped her arms around Troy's neck, pulling his face down to hers so that she could kiss him soundly on the lips.

"You're so perfect," she sighed, letting herself melt into Troy's embrace.

Troy chuckled. "I love you, Gabriella. Seeing your mom is not something I consider a chore. I want to see her because she's such a big part of you. You act like it's a huge deal…"

"That's because it is, Troy. I really appreciate it. I haven't told you that lately…" Gabriella said softly, hoping that she wasn't giving away too much.

Troy kissed her on the forehead. "Well, I'm glad it makes you happy," he smiled before returning his attention to the box in front of them. "Want to put this crib together? I'd like to see it…"

"Of course," Gabriella grinned, suddenly excited to see the crib set up in the nursery. This was becoming all too real for her, and she loved every minute of it. Her baby girl couldn't come soon enough.

Gabriella read off the directions and handed Troy the right tools and parts as they spent the next thirty minutes putting together the pink crib. She noticed how Troy paused a few times as he looked at certain parts, and she knew he was suspicious of the design.

It was when the crib was about halfway finished that Troy set down his screwdriver and stood up, taking a few steps away from the crib and running a hand through his hair. She knew that he recognized it now.

However, Gabriella didn't expect that kind of reaction from him. She thought he was happy with her, even without her memory. It surprised her that he would seem so pained by the idea of her buying a crib they had picked out together before they knew about Caleb. Gabriella was heartbroken when she realized he was still in pain from the fact that she didn't remember their past. He said he wasn't, but it was obviously a lie.

Of course, he would never freely admit that.

Troy took a deep breath, and before Gabriella could ask if he was okay he returned to work, finishing the crib. He moved it to the corner of the nursery, and both adults took a step back to admire the new pink piece of furniture in their little girl's room.

Without warning, Troy walked out of the room moments later, leaving Gabriella confused and worried. She made her way down the hall to the guest bedroom, where she found her husband sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. Without making her presence known, the brunette watched as Troy shook his head and eventually stared up at the ceiling. She knew he was trying to gain some sort of control over his emotions. Seeing that crib had obviously upset him, and that made Gabriella sick.

Gabriella wondered if this was the right time to tell him. But how should she start off the conversation? "Guess what, Troy, I remember everything" didn't sound appropriate.

Gabriella quickly returned to the nursery when she noticed Troy make a move to get off the bed. She acted as if she was still admiring the crib when he came in and stood behind her.

"Looks good, doesn't it?" Gabriella commented.

Troy rested his chin on her shoulder as he stared at the corner of the room. "You have no idea…"

The two turned off the light and left the room, standing awkwardly in the hallway. Gabriella was at a loss for words. All she wanted to tell him was how much she loved him and remembered what an amazing man he was. She just…didn't know how to say it.

"Um…I'm going to…uh…yeah," Gabriella muttered, walking around Troy and heading toward the stairs.

Before she could reach the first step she felt a hand gently grab around her bicep, pulling her back.

She looked up at her husband to see the torture in his eyes as he stared down at her. He was breathing a little quicker than normal and seemed desperate to find the right words.

"Did you…are…what did I do?" Troy asked in a small voice, and Gabriella felt herself look away.

"Nothing, Troy. You didn't do anything, I promise. I'm just…feeling really weird today. Must be the hormones…"

Troy nodded sympathetically, pulling Gabriella to his chest and resting a hand on her growing baby bump.

"I'm sorry. I won't even pretend to know what it feels like to be pregnant, but I can imagine sometimes it must really suck…" Troy grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to Gabriella's hair.

The brunette giggled, resting her head on her husband's chest. "Sometimes it does, but when we see our beautiful baby girl in September, it will all be worth it…"

Troy's grin widened and he kissed both of Gabriella's cheeks.

"I can't wait. I'm so excited to meet her! She's going to be gorgeous…just like her mother."

Gabriella sighed against her husband's chest. Her baby girl was the one thing that made these past months of hell worth it. And now that she finally remembered everything, she was going to welcome her baby girl into the world with a newfound respect for all aspects of her life with Troy.

"And just like her handsome father…" Gabriella grinned, boldly dipping her hands underneath Troy's shirt and running them up to his shoulders.

Troy's eyes darkened as he sensed the mood change between them and one of his hands made its way to Gabriella's waist while the other moved to her thigh.

Without warning, Gabriella felt herself lifted into Troy's arms before he promptly walked to the master bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind them. Caleb had yet to walk in on his parents being intimate, and both Gabriella and Troy were hoping he never would.

Troy gently lowered Gabriella onto the bed before crawling on top of her, using his arms carefully so that he would hover over her, not crushing her baby bump.

He leaned down and connected their lips in a steamy kiss, groaning as Gabriella swept her tongue across his mouth.

"You are so sexy, Gabriella. I love you so much…" Troy moaned as he hitched Gabriella's leg around his hip. His hands found their way to her shirt and he lifted it over her head before promptly snapping her bra clasp.

Gabriella tugged at Troy's shirt soon after, throwing it on the floor after she pulled it off him.

There…that was much better.

Gabriella felt her hands run up and down Troy's bare, god-like chest. He had been working so hard in the gym. Gabriella still couldn't believe her husband was this hot. He had always looked good, even when they were dating in high school, but damn…he really had grown up to be a very sexy man.

Troy kicked his shorts off, leaving him in only his boxers as his hands began to stroke Gabriella's stomach gently. He moved himself down to give her a soft kiss on the stomach, and Gabriella sighed in contentment at the sight.

Not only was he the perfect lover, but he was the perfect father, too.

Gabriella pulled Troy's face up to hers and began to press tiny kisses up and down Troy's jaw while stroking his hair with her other hand. As Gabriella pressed her lips to his chin, she realized if anything was different about the sex now and the sex they had that morning, it was that she was much more confident. She knew what she was doing and how to make Troy feel good. She wasn't shy about touching Troy anymore, and she could tell he noticed that.

It was during a brief moment that Troy pulled back to look into her eyes that Gabriella felt the undeniable love for this man overwhelm her.

"I love you, Wildcat. So much…" she sighed.

Gabriella felt Troy stiffen on top of her, and before she could ask what was wrong he had rolled away from her and off the bed, standing up and pacing the room. His hand ran through his hair roughly.

"Troy?"

"Sorry…sorry. Just give me a sec…"

"What's wrong, Troy? Did I do something wrong?" Gabriella asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She tugged the white sheet over her bare chest.

"No, baby. No. It's me…sorry. You didn't do anything wrong," Troy breathed, pinching his nose with his fingers.

"Why don't you explain it to me…?" Gabriella asked, trying to get Troy to open up.

"You're not going to like it, Gab. You hate when I talk about it. I don't want to ruin the mood…"

Gabriella giggled, earning a glance from Troy.

"I think that ship has already sailed…"

Troy groaned and turned around to face her. He was standing in front of her in just his boxers. Gabriella could get used to that view…

"It's just…things you've been doing today…they remind me of how you were before the accident. It's stupid and I'm sorry to bring the whole memory issue back up again, but it's just kind of overwhelming to me today…"

Gabriella felt her heart begin to race and nerves overwhelm her. This was it. She could feel it. This was the moment she had been waiting for. The perfect moment to tell Troy about her memory.

"Like what kind of things?" Gabriella asked curiously as Troy let out a sigh. He shrugged, looking away from her.

"Like the crib you bought for the baby. I know you don't know, but it was the exact same one that we had been looking at before we knew Caleb was a boy. And…this is gonna sound stupid, but even the way you've been looking at me. It just…feels like the way it used to. Like you know me better than anyone else. Like you can see right through all my pretenses."

Troy sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes trained on the comforter.

"And now, when you just kissed up and down my jaw, and finally kissed me on the chin, then told me how much you loved me…you used to always do that. Then you called me Wildcat…that was your nickname for me. And I love it, Gab. Don't get me wrong. But the way you said it tonight... it just reminded me of the whole memory thing…"

Gabriella nodded, looking at the carpet trying to summon courage. She reached down to grab her bra, quickly snapping it back on.

"Oh, shit! Gab I didn't mean it like that! I don't care that you don't have your memory. I love you, memory or no memory. I'm sorry I reacted that way. It was immature and I wasn't even thinking about your feelings. I'm so sorry, Baby. Please forgive me…" Troy said desperately as he sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to convince Gabriella that he loved her even though he missed certain parts of her personality that had been lost in the accident.

Gabriella didn't say anything, but looked up and connected with Troy's eyes. She just stared into the pools of blue, trying to make Troy understand what she couldn't effectively put into words.

She grabbed his hand and rubbed her thumb over it, trying to comfort him.

Troy looked back at her with love clear in his gaze, but confusion evident as well. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to figure out what Gabriella was thinking. It didn't take long, and moments later she was able to identify the exact moment his brain clicked.

Suddenly Troy's eyes grew wide in shock, and he backed off the bed.

"Gabi?" He questioned in a shaky voice, watching as his wife gave him a small, caring smile.

"Jesus…" Troy raked a hand through his hair as his eyes filled with tears. Gabriella immediately felt horrible.

"Oh, Honey. Don't cry, Troy…" Gabriella pleaded.

"Everything?" Troy asked, his voice betraying his intense emotions.

"Everything…"

"How long?" Troy asked, frozen in place as he looked at his wife.

"This morning after you left…"

Troy swallowed a lump in his throat and wiped away a stray tear.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Gabriella sighed, running a hand through her curls. "I didn't know how to…"

Troy stood there, looking at her in shock. There was no easy way to reveal how she got her memory back. Regardless of how she told him, there would be pain and tears. It was inevitable.

"I was cleaning out the drawer in your nightstand this morning and I found this…" Gabriella opened the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out the velvet box, revealing the ruby and diamond promise ring.

Troy's mouth dropped open at the sight of it.

"It was like…everything just came rushing back to me, like a tidal wave or something. Before I opened the box I had no recollection of pretty much the last decade of my life. But once I saw the ring, I remembered everything. I don't know why, but I did…"

Gabriella swallowed the lump in her throat when Troy didn't say anything. She didn't think about what she was going to say, she just let it come out.

"I knew it was the promise ring you gave me sophomore year when we went out to dinner for our anniversary right by the San Francisco Bay…"

Gabriella paused for a minute as she saw her husband finally look away from her and attempt to hold in a silent sob. Tears flooded her eyes and she shifted herself onto her knees, still holding the ring.

"I remembered how you made me a promise that one day you would replace it with an engagement ring. I was so surprised that night because I thought you were going to break up with me. Turns out you were just nervous about my reaction to the ring. Do you remember that?"

Gabriella's eyes softened as she saw Troy's watery eyes connect with hers. He gave her a slight nod.

"And that night we went back to that hotel room you booked and we made love for the first time without any barriers. That night…I knew that you were my future. And I didn't want anyone else…

"But then we broke up junior year after I was stupid enough to believe that rumor about you and the cheerleader. I should've known better, but I was so insecure. I thought you were too good to be true. So I broke up with you and threw your promise ring out my dorm window. The five hundred dollar promise ring you bought me. I was devastated when we got back together and I couldn't find it."

Gabriella sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Her attention was returned to her husband who was taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Her heart ached more than it had in the past nine months at that moment. Seeing her husband so broken gave her a full realization of how much he had been hurting since the accident.

"And when I saw this ring…I found myself wondering if it was the same one, or if it was a replica…"

"It's a replica…" Troy choked out, looking at Gabriella with desperate eyes. "We never found the real one…"

Gabriella nodded, wiping a tear away that had leaked out of her eye. "I'm so sorry about throwing it away. I've regretted that my entire life. You worked so hard to get it for me."

Troy looked away from his wife, staring at the carpet again. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to gain control. She could tell that he was torn. He wanted to believe her, but he needed more proof.

"Yeah…but, Gab, that's one thing. That doesn't mean you remember everything…"

Gabriella sighed, trying to figure out a way for her husband to understand.

"Well, after I remembered that, I remembered something only you and I know about. And if this isn't enough to prove to you that I remember everything, I honestly have no idea what is…"

Troy looked back at Gabriella, his eyes pleading. "What is it?"

"You didn't want Caleb…"

Gabriella watched as Troy sucked in a breath, looking at her with a shocked expression. She saw a tidal wave of tears began to leak out of his eyes and run down his cheeks. He didn't bother to wipe away the evidence as he stared back at her.

"Oh my God…"

Gabriella flashed him a soft smile, willing herself to keep the moisture in her eyes from spilling out.

"You…you…Gab…I just..." Troy struggled to form words as he fisted a hand in his hair.

Looking at the pain in his eyes, Gabriella's barrier broke down and the tears in her eyes spilled onto her cheeks.

"Baby…I'm _so sorry_," she sobbed, her voice shaking. "I've put you through hell these past nine months and you still stayed with me. I've been so horrible to you. I can't believe I even tried to _divorce_ you, Troy!"

Troy covered his mouth to hold in a sob as she mentioned the divorce to him. Gabriella had never seen Troy break down like this in front of her before. Not even during their argument about why she wanted a divorce.

"And my God, Troy. I went as far as to try and shut you out of my life. Even after I told you I was pregnant. I…I used you for sex. I still was in love with you, but I shut you out because I was scared and thought you deserved better. And in the process, I hurt you more than I could've ever dreamed I was capable of."

Gabriella moved herself off the bed and walked around to the other side to stand in front of Troy. She looked up at his tall frame and grabbed his hand to encourage him to look down at her.

"But I have to admit, there is one thing I was right about these past nine months," Gabriella lifted up her free hand to wipe away a tear from her cheek. "I don't deserve you…"

Troy's eyes snapped to hers, and he suddenly gripped her hand tighter.

"No you don't…"

Gabriella couldn't hold in the tearful gasp that left her mouth at Troy's words. So this was really it. This was what she had been afraid of. He realized that even though she hadn't been in the right mindset the past nine months, she still hurt him enough that it was unforgiveable. And now that he understood that, he wouldn't want her around anymore.

Gabriella forced herself to nod. She slipped her hands out of Troy's and pulled on her blouse that had been thrown on the floor.

"For what it's worth, Troy, I love you _so_ much. I just want you to be happy. I'm so sorry for everything, you have no idea…"

Gabriella paused at the door to the master bedroom, looking at the floor. "I'll come back for my stuff later…" she whispered, her voice breaking on the last word.

Before she could fully open the door she saw Troy's hand slam it shut. Gabriella turned around and stared at her husband in surprise.

"You're leaving me? Again?" He asked in a shaky breath, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. "No…Gab, you didn't let me finish. I wanted to tell you that you don't deserve me-"

"I know that, Troy. Believe me…you're way too good for me. You always have been," Gabriella said in her shaky voice.

Troy's hand left the door to cup her cheek, for the first time since he found out about her memory, his eyes softened, trying to comfort her. "No, Gab. That's not what I meant. You deserve someone better than me. Someone who could just be happy that you were alive after your accident. Not someone who wishes his wife would remember her life every single morning when he wakes up. A good husband would have loved you unconditionally. I still loved you, Gabriella, but I wanted more…I'm sorry for that."

Gabriella's eyes widened at Troy's admission. "It was only natural, honey. We've been through so much, and everything we've accomplished and all the obstacles we've overcome have made us who we are today. Since I forgot about all of that our relationship didn't seem as special as it really is. Don't blame yourself, Troy. This isn't your fault. None of it is your fault. It's all mine."

Gabriella placed a daring hand on Troy's bicep and looked up into his gorgeous blue eyes.

"I'm only leaving if you want me to. If it were up to me, I would never leave you, Troy. I love you more than anything. You're my whole life. I can't even…imagine what would've happened if we had gotten divorced…"

Troy let out a breath and shut his eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry…" Gabriella whispered, leaning up to kiss Troy's chin before turning around to open the door.

Once again, Troy's hand stopped her from accomplishing that.

Gabriella stared up at her silent husband, a questioning look in her eyes before she climbed back into the bed and sat in the center, waiting for her husband to say something.

"I can't believe that…you really remember. Everything…" Troy said in a soft voice. He was completely vulnerable at that moment.

"I love you so much, Gab," Troy choked out before wiping a hand over his face.

Gabriella felt herself feel a tiny bit of hope for the first time since he figured out she remembered.

"I love you, too, Wildcat. So much that it hurts…"

The brunette shifted so that she was holding out a hand to Troy.

Her husband looked at her, red eyes and all, in awe. It took him a full five seconds to take her hand and throw himself on top of her.

Gabriella held Troy as he clutched her tightly to his body. Her husband cried into her neck, unable to speak. She hated seeing Troy like this, and the mere sight of it brought her to tears once again.

Troy remained buried in her curls for a long time before he started kissing her all over. His lips touched her neck, her hair, her cheeks, her collarbone, her jaw, her nose, and finally…Troy pressed a searing, desperate kiss on Gabriella's lips.

Even after it got to the point where she needed to take a breath, Gabriella refused to part from her husband. They were going to be okay. She had this feeling in her stomach that they were going to make it.

"Troy you mean so much to me," Gabriella breathed in between their kisses. "I'm never going to stop reminding you. And I'm so…sor…" Gabriella felt herself choke on her words as Troy finally pulled away from her to look her straight in the eyes, which were still filled with tears. "I'm so sorry for everything I've done to you. I don't deserve to have an amazing guy like you as my husband. God…I hurt you so much. It makes me sick, honey. I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me? I know I don't deserve it, but I can't imagine not having you in my life…"

Gabriella started sobbing, but before she could brush away the tears with her hand, she felt Troy's fingertips on her cheeks, catching the tears as they fell.

"Baby it's not your fault. You didn't remember. We've both been through hell since the accident, but I've never questioned for a second whether or not it was worth it. It's always been worth it, Gabriella. You're always worth it. Don't run from me this time, Gab, _please_. We can get through this. We can be happy…" Troy pleaded, his grip getting tighter as he became desperate to keep her by his side.

Gabriella choked on her tears. "I'm not going anywhere, Troy. I'll be here as long as you want me here. I love you, honey, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life making these past nine months of hell up to you."

Troy held himself tighter to Gabriella. "You remember…" he mumbled, kissing her cheek before pulling back to look at her face. A small smile formed as he studied her. "You really remember, Baby. You remember…our entire life. I just…I can't believe it. You remember!"

Gabriella felt herself giggle at Troy's excitement. She felt elated and overjoyed. Revealing how she got her memory back to Troy had been as tough as she had anticipated, but they really were going to be okay. Things would go back to normal.

"I remember. And I want to _show_ you how well I remember. Come here, Wildcat," Gabriella motioned with her finger for Troy to move closer.

Gabriella had had great sex in her life.

Make-up sex with Troy after their break-up junior year was incredible.

Wedding night sex was phenomenal and romantic.

Even the make-up sex they had after they called off the divorce was fantastic.

But nothing could compare to the reunion sex Gabriella was having with Troy.

Their touches were desperate and urgent, trying to pull each other as close as possible with no space left to separate them.

Troy tugged aggressively at the blouse Gabriella had put back on and threw it off her onto the floor where it belonged. His skilled hands then dove around to her back where he skillfully unclasped her bra and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Oh, God. Troy!" Gabriella moaned as his lips went straight for her cleavage. Her hands dove into his hair.

Gabriella felt Troy grind his hips into hers and gasped at the sensation as she felt the stiffness of his erection against her thigh. Pleasure rolled through her body as Troy dipped his head and attacked her neck with his lips.

Gabriella reached down to dip her hands under his boxers, brushing against his manhood. Troy hissed at the sensation and pulled Gabriella's face to his, roughly kissing her. Gabriella felt all the pain and desperation of the past nine months in his kiss, and she tried to convey the same passion to him with her lips.

Gabriella's hands worked quickly to roll down Troy's boxers. He pulled back to help her get them off before he picked them up and handed them to her with a smile. Gabriella looked at his red boxers curiously before grinning back at Troy and tossing them over where her clothes were.

Troy began to press kisses down her neck and chest, causing Gabriella to arch her back. Troy stopped at her baby bump, pressing gentle kisses all around it and finally rested his lips on her belly button.

"I love you, baby…" Troy whispered to their growing daughter before continuing his trail of kisses downward.

Gabriella squirmed as Troy's lips grazed her thighs. Writhing beneath him, she tried desperately to move her hips against his, hoping for some sort of friction.

Troy, however, pulled away, leaving Gabriella whimpering from the loss of stimulation. It did not last for long, however, and Troy was pressing his lips to hers urgently once again.

Gabriella, desperate for more contact with Troy, reached her hand down to run her nails along his erection.

"Fuck, FUCK!" Troy groaned, rolling his hips into hers. "God that feels so good…"

Troy's arm wrapped around Gabriella's back, pressing her more tightly to him.

"What's gonna…feel better… honey? You…or… me on… top?" Troy asked in a breathless voice between kisses. Their tongues battled passionately as Gabriella felt her need for Troy reach an almost unbearable point.

"Doesn't…mmmmmm….matter," Gabriella moaned as Troy's lips found their way to her cleavage once again. "OH!"

Troy relentlessly teased her breasts with his lips, using his tongue to make her scream in pleasure. Troy's lips moved back up to Gabriella's mouth to try and silence her.

"Baby, Caleb's still sleeping… We've got to be quiet," he murmured, kissing her temple.

"I don't know if that's going to be possible," Gabriella breathed, smiling as her husband flashed her a big grin.

"I fucking love these," Troy praised of Gabriella's enlarged breasts. He cupped them in his hands before kissing her neck.

Gabriella felt her fingers dig into Troy's back muscles as his lips tortured her. She was desperate for some kind of pressure to ease the aching in her core.

Gabriella pulled Troy's face away from her neck before pushing him over so she could roll on top of him. She licked her way down his chest to his abs, kissing them reverently and moving her hands to caress his inner thighs.

"Shit! Gab…" Troy moaned, his hands tightly grapping either side of her hips.

Gabriella's hand finally wrapped around Troy's erection once again and began slide up and down, pumping furiously.

"FUCK! Jesus, Gab. Oh, God. Now! NOW!" Troy groaned, gripping her sides and carefully flipping her over before he connected his lips with hers urgently. Being the gentleman he was, he grabbed a pillow and placed it under the small of her back so she would be comfortable. Then he pulled back and drove into her.

Gabriella soaked in the wave of pleasure that overcame her as soon as Troy filled her completely. Sure, they had had sex this morning, but this was different. This was familiar and new at the same time. This wasn't just sex, this was making love.

Troy felt his skin burning as Gabriella's fingers wrapped underneath his arms and around his shoulders. He desperately search for her thigh with his hand and moved it to the side before hitching it around his waist, penetrating her deeper.

Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut at the new depth. "Oh, God, TROY! That's it! Harder, baby! Harder…" Gabriella cried out, throwing her head back against the pillows.

She opened her eyes to see Troy's were closed in pleasure as he rocked into her.

Their lust for each other was mixed with an urgent need. Troy's thrusts came faster and more desperate as they both started to reach the edge.

"So good, Gabi! So fucking good…" Troy moaned, moments before she felt herself fall over the edge, succumbing to the blinding sensation of her orgasm.

"TROY!" She screamed, forgetting all about her sleeping toddler in the room next door as she rode out her orgasm. Troy connected his lips with hers desperately. He continued to thrust into her until he reached his peak.

"FUCK, GABRIELLA!" He yelled, shivering in pleasure as he released into her.

Both Troy and Gabriella breathed heavily in the aftermath of the most incredible sex they had ever had. Troy moved his head to Gabriella's face and kissed her softly right behind her ear.

"I love you so much, Gabriella," he whispered, kissing her once more. "I so happy you remember our life together…"

Gabriella felt herself smile despite her exhaustion. "I love you, too, Troy. More than anything…" she mumbled, whimpering slightly as he pulled out of her.

Troy rolled off of the brunette onto his back and pulled her over to him so she was resting on his chest, which was still heaving up and down with each breath he took. He held her tightly, soaking in the pleasure of not only the sex, but knowing his wife remembered everything – something he wasn't sure would've ever happened.

"Fuck, Gabi. If I had just given you that promise ring for Christmas like I was supposed to, we would have never had to deal with the divorce and the breakup and all the hurt we suffered because of it. I can't believe I didn't give it to you…"

Gabriella burrowed into her husband's chest, loving the feeling of his hand gently running through her brunette curls.

"Maybe. I don't know how the whole memory thing works, but maybe if you had given the ring to me in December I still wouldn't have remembered. I don't know. But I do know that going through all of that pain and suffering has given me a newfound appreciation for our marriage and our relationship. And I think we can come out of this stronger than ever…"

Troy grinned, pressing a kiss to her hair. "I couldn't agree more. I'm never, ever letting you go, Gabriella. Never…"

Gabriella leaned up to press a kiss on Troy's chin. "I'll never ask you to…"

* * *

**Troy finally knows! I am ridiculously nervous about this chapter. I've edited it numerous times and I still can't get it just the way I want. I think it's one of those things that will never be just perfect… but I hope you enjoyed it! **

**One more chapter up soon and then the epilogue!**


	29. Full Circle

**You guys are absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for all the kind words. **

**I can't believe it, but this is the last chapter of The Road Not Taken. FYI, "The Road Not Taken" is the title of a famous poem by Robert Frost for those of you who didn't know. I am using the popular/literal interpretation of it for this story. **

**Epilogue up later this week. :)**

* * *

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Chapter 27: Full Circle**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"Alright! Is it time for gifts now?"

"Aw, Mom. Please tell me you guys didn't get me anything…"

"Hush, Troy. You don't turn twenty-six everyday," Lucille scolded her son, ushering everyone from outside into the kitchen.

Troy groaned before grinning good-naturedly and took his seat at the kitchen table, his eyes widening as he saw the stack of gifts placed in front of him. His hand immediately went to rub the back of his neck, something he always did when he was uncomfortable.

One thing about Troy was that he loved getting gifts, but hated receiving them. When he was younger and wasn't making millions of dollars a year, Troy had no problem accepting gifts from his parents and friends. But as soon as he began to make big money playing in the NBA, he never liked the idea of other people spending their money on him.

Especially not Gabriella.

She could _rarely_ get away with buying Troy something expensive with her own money without him getting angry about it.

The brunette stood off to the side of the group surrounding Troy at their kitchen table. She watched as her toddler crawled into his daddy's lap, clapping his hands and grinning excitedly at the stack of presents in front of him. Troy wrapped his arms around his little son, giving him a hug and kissed his forehead affectionately.

Gabriella knew Troy was going to let Caleb open his presents for him. He was such a great father like that. All Troy wanted was to see his son happy, and he would do anything so that was true.

Lucille stood to the left of Troy, holding Jack's hand as she smiled down at Caleb sweetly. Troy's parents had coordinated with Gabriella for the past few days to try and organize a surprise party for their son on his 26th birthday. Troy had been feeling down lately because of the way his basketball season ended, and everyone wanted to cheer him up.

Gabriella couldn't imagine how Troy must have been feeling the past week and a half. It was heartbreaking enough to watch it, let alone experience it first-hand.

Troy had successfully led his Redhawks to the NBA Finals, only to lose in the fifth game. Gabriella had been watching at home as her husband desperately tried to turn around the final game in Boston, only to be unsuccessful. Her little toddler hadn't understood why his mommy had tears in her eyes and gave Gabriella a big hug.

"_Daddy's team lost?" _

"_Yeah, sweetie. They tried really hard but they lost. It's okay, though. There's always next year."_

Gabriella had felt so horrible. She saw Troy's dejected face on the television and knew he was beating himself up inside. As the team captain he shouldered a lot of the burden for losses, and she had been sure that he was blaming himself for the defeat.

Gabriella had waited up for him to come home that warm, June night. Finally, at three in the morning an exhausted Troy walked through the front door, letting his large duffel bag fall to the ground beside him. He stared at her, not saying anything. He didn't need to. Gabriella understood how upset he was by the dullness of his eyes and the disappointment that was clearly evident in his face.

"_She's kicking." _Gabriella had said to try and lighten up her husband's mood.

It worked like a charm, and Troy grinned brightly.

"_Really?" _ he had asked her excitedly before closing the distance between them to lay a hand on her stomach.

Troy's mood brightened considerably when he placed his hand on Gabriella's stomach that night, and the following morning after watching the Celtics post-championship celebration on the local news, he was able to open up to Gabriella and explain how disappointed he was with the way the finals had gone. One thing he did know, however, was that he still had the most amazing life any guy could ever dream of. There would be more championships, more basketball seasons, but there weren't any more Gabriellas. And he was so thankful that she was all his.

Regardless, that didn't stop him from sulking for the past week and a half, which was why a surprise party seemed to be a good solution to turn around his attitude.

And it appeared to be working.

Troy had been so surprised when he walked through the door after conducting his exit interview with the press that morning to see his parents, Chad and Taylor, Caleb, and Gabriella standing there with smiles on their faces and streamers everywhere. His mouth dropped open and he started laughing. It wasn't a big celebration, but Lucille knew Troy would prefer only the people closest to him to be there. He wasn't one for huge parties with a ton of people he didn't know very well.

"Okay, so this first gift is from Chad," Troy smiled at his childhood friend that stood across the table from him. He placed the tiny package in Caleb's hands and the little boy tore furiously at the paper. The entire time Troy watched his son instead of looking to see what his gift was. He was completely enthralled with his three year-old, and Gabriella had to look away for a second to regain her composure.

It was moments like those that she remembered how incredibly lucky she was to have Troy in her life. He was the perfect husband, the perfect father, and the perfect man. No one else could compare.

"Look, Daddy!" Caleb exclaimed, thrusting the gift in Troy's face. The basketball star grinned at his son and examined the framed item curiously.

Suddenly, Troy burst out laughing, triggering chuckles from Chad.

"Is this from the Grand Hyatt in New York?"

"You know it, dude. That thing was not easy to smuggle out of there," Chad grinned. "But we managed it."

"They didn't catch you on the security cameras?"

"Nah. Their security systems were no match for our ninja-like skills."

Troy chuckled once more, turning around the frame for everyone to see a picture of him sleeping in a hotel room.

"So…" Troy grinned, "We were on a road trip to New York to play the Knicks in November. Everything was routine, normal. We all got our own suite for the night. I went to bed around eleven, you know, totally normal night. All the sudden this blinding flash wakes me up around three in the morning. I can't tell where it came from, but I hear footsteps and my door opening and closing."

Chad laughed. "So he thought one of us took his picture while he was sleeping and was just a good sport about it. But when he mentioned it to us, none of the guys had gone into his room at all that night. So we were wondering who had the ability to sneak in and take a picture of Troy sleeping…"

"I just kind of shook it off. But in March we went back to the same Grand Hyatt hotel in New York when we played the Knicks again. For some reason, we needed more towels, so Chad, Karl, and I went down to the services room where all of the cleaning supplies are kept. We couldn't find the towels right away, so we walked over to where the hotel maids had little offices set up, and…"

Troy stopped talking, his laughter preventing him from explaining what happened.

"We found this framed picture of Troy sleeping in one of the maid's cubicles. It was the freakiest thing ever, but so funny at the same time. She had been the one to take his picture and had hung it up back in November when we came to the hotel for the first time. So me and a couple of the guys on the team snuck back in the supply room before we left and stole the picture," Chad explained, causing everyone in the room to laugh.

Gabriella giggled along with them, though she was slightly disturbed that someone would walk in on her husband sleeping.

"Thanks, Chad. This is priceless," Troy grinned, setting the picture face down beside him. Caleb immediately grabbed another present and started tearing the paper off.

"Who's this from?" Troy asked curiously, trying to see the name on the package.

"It's from me," Taylor grinned, watching the little boy finish opening her gift to Troy.

Gabriella held in the biggest squeal as she saw her husband lift up a tiny Redhawks cheerleading outfit with "Daddy" written on the back. It was absolutely adorable and matched Caleb's custom-made jersey.

Troy's eyes immediately connected with Gabriella's, and they shared a huge grin, both imaging their daughter wearing that to her daddy's games.

"Taylor…this is…perfect. Thank you," Troy said sincerely. "She's going to look so cute in this…"

Taylor grinned, happy that Troy liked the present. "You're very welcome. I can't wait to see her in it."

Troy kept admiring the little cheerleading outfit with a grin on his face until Lucille yanked it out of his hands to look at it herself. If it was even possible, Lucille was more excited for this baby girl than Troy and Gabriella. She had already bought a mountain of stuff for her and was eagerly planning nights where she and Jack could babysit.

Caleb tore at the next gift, which was from Lucille and Jack. It turned out to be a small leather folder.

Troy looked curiously inside of it, reading several sheets of paper before shaking his head and looking at his parents with a serious expression.

"You really shouldn't have spent your money on this. This is…too much Mom and Dad. Really, it is…" Troy murmured, looking at the papers in front of him again.

"No it's not, Troy. You may be a millionaire now but we are still your parents and we enjoy buying our son gifts. Especially ones that he will enjoy. You are going to go to Fiji with Gabriella in December whether you like it or not. Jack looked up next season's schedule and you have a four day break right around the end of the month, so you can spend a couple of days in Fiji together while we watch the kids. No complaints. We want you two to enjoy some alone time together. Lord knows you won't get much after the baby comes in September…"

Lucille gave Troy a look that meant she was serious, and Troy let out a sigh before standing up and smiling brightly at his parents.

"Thank you guys so much. This means a lot. It's amazing, and I'm sure we'll have a great time," he kissed Lucille on the cheek before giving both her and Jack a hug. Gabriella gave them each a thankful smile and walked over to hug them both as well.

"That's very kind of you both. I'm sure we will enjoy the break. And Fiji! What an amazing place! Thank you!" Gabriella said sincerely, her excitement for the trip obvious.

Her and Troy hadn't found the time to get away on a vacation with just the two of them since their honeymoon. With Troy's schedule it was nearly impossible in the winter, so they were lucky to be getting a few days of relaxation in. She was very excited, though. To be alone with Troy in a tropical paradise would be so romantic. And the fact that the majority of the time he would be shirtless…oh, God.

"I'm really looking forward to that trip," Troy whispered softly to Gabriella as he pulled her to his side, kissing her just below her ear.

Gabriella flashed him a smile in agreement as Troy sat back down and Caleb opened the next present.

"Is this from you?" Troy asked his wife, his voice laced with disappointment. Gabriella giggled. Troy preferred gifts from her that he could open at night and not in front of anyone else. Namely, sexy lingerie.

"Yes. Part one of three," Gabriella whispered back, kissing him on the chin before returning her attention to Caleb.

"Here, Daddy. It's a book!" the toddler said proudly, handing Troy a notebook with a picture of Troy and Gabriella from their senior year of high school on it.

Troy's fingers squeezed Gabriella's hip gently as he opened the notebook, reading the words on the first page.

"Oh my God…" he murmured in awe, flipping through the notebook, looking at some of the text and dates that were on each page.

"Gabriella…" Troy choked out, looking at his wife with an incredulous expression on his face.

"What is it?" Lucille asked curiously, interrupting before Troy could say anything else.

"It's a memory book," Gabriella said softly, her cheeks tinted red. "I wrote down every memory I remembered after the accident and the date I remembered it so Troy could know. I didn't tell him about a lot of the stuff I remembered, so I thought he might be interested in knowing. Then I wrote down all of my favorite memories of our relationship towards the back."

Troy looked at the book in silence as everyone around Gabriella started commenting on how thoughtful her present was. Needless to say, they had all been shocked and ecstatic when Gabriella revealed that she got her memory back. Carmen and Lucille had cried while Taylor held back tears. Chad couldn't contain his excitement and Jack was deeply happy. Caleb still didn't understand, and Gabriella decided that now wasn't the right time to explain it to him. She would sit down with him when he was older and tell him the whole story.

Gabriella started to get nervous when Troy didn't say anything. He just flipped the pages slowly, skimming the contents. She knew he would read it all later, but his lack of a reaction was frightening her. She didn't want to bring up bad memories. She just wanted to help Troy understand.

"Thank you," Troy said suddenly as he quickly shut the notebook. "Thank you everyone for all the gifts. They mean so much. And it means a lot to me that you are all here today to help me celebrate my birthday."

_What? That's it?_ Gabriella thought. Dread washed over her. Giving Troy the book was definitely a mistake.

"Happy birthday, DADDY!" Caleb screeched, standing up on Troy's lap and wrapping his tiny little arms around his father's neck.

Troy chuckled, pushing back his chair and standing up, holding his toddler in his arms.

"Everyone ready for cake?" Lucille asked, clapping her hands together once.

"YAY!" Caleb squealed, struggling to get down from Troy's arms. As soon as he was released on the ground he ran over to Lucille and jumped up and down in front of her. "Can I have a big piece?"

Lucille laughed, ruffling Caleb's hair before she escorted the toddler back outside for the cake. Taylor and Chad followed, observing the little boy with interest, probably trying to gain knowledge for their own little guy that was due to arrive in November.

Jack remained behind, giving Troy a big hug. "Happy birthday, son. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Dad," Troy returned the hug fiercely.

Jack then made his way over to the sliding glass door and opened it, walking into the backyard. It was at that moment Gabriella realized she hadn't moved.

"I'll meet you outside," she said quickly to Troy before walking towards the door. But the brunette never made it that far.

She felt a hand grab her wrist and pull her back, and before she could even comprehend what was happening, Troy had tugged her out of the sight of the glass door and pressed her gently against the kitchen wall, locking lips with hers in desperation and passion.

Gabriella didn't know what had come over Troy, but she was certainly enjoying it as her arms wrapped underneath her husband's arms and curled over his shoulders. She let herself become lost in Troy's taste.

"You have no idea," Troy rasped as he pulled away, leaning his forehead against Gabriella's. "how much that book means to me..."

Gabriella's eyes popped open in surprise as she looked into the ultramarine orbs of her husband.

"You like it?"

Troy nodded, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. "I love it. I couldn't ask for a more perfect gift, Gabi. And I want to read it with you. I want to read it together. Will you read it with me?"

Gabriella smiled softly at her husband, her love for him consuming her. "Of course, Troy. I'm glad you like it."

Gabriella giggled as her husband's lips connected with hers once more and his hand began to inch his way up underneath her dress.

"Can we just skip to part three of your gift?" Troy whispered breathlessly as he began a trail of kisses down her neck.

"A walk in the park? If you want to…" Gabriella joked, laughing at her husband's disappointed face.

"Seriously?" He asked, pulling back to look her in the eyes.

"What do you think?" Gabriella retorted, squeezing her husband tightly in a hug. "And the answer is no. We aren't skipping. This has to go in order."

"Fine…" Troy murmured, leaning down kiss Gabriella once more on the lips. It was slow and sweet, just the way she liked it. "But the anticipation might kill me, and it would be on your conscious for the rest of your life."

"Please, Troy. Let's go eat your cake…" Gabriella grinned, pulling on her husband's hand and leading him out to the backyard.

* * *

"This is just…there aren't words for this Gabriella. You continue to surprise me today…" Troy murmured across the candlelit table, moving his hand towards Gabriella and holding it out for her to take. "And you're so gorgeous…"

As Gabriella entwined their fingers, she knew this night was perfect. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was impossibly romantic, and she was with the man she loved more than anything else in the world.

This anniversary dinner may have come long after it was supposed to, but as Troy and Gabriella sat across from each other at _Il Gusto Di Italia_, they found themselves unable to see any negatives. Sure, the past year may not have been their best, but they emerged from it stronger, with a baby on the way, and if it was possible, even more in love with each other and their life together.

"Happy belated three year anniversary, Troy. I'm sorry I screwed it up…" Gabriella smiled in apology, and Troy grinned brightly at her. All the pain of Gabriella's memory loss was in the past for the couple.

Of course, it took a while for Gabriella and Troy to get their footing back with one another. Gabriella was still shy about certain things that she hadn't been before, like using Troy's money and buying him new clothes. Troy was still wary that Gabriella would leave him. For almost an entire three days after he found out she remembered everything Troy hardly left Gabriella's side. It was as if he believed her getting back her memory was too good to be true, and that she would end up leaving him again if he didn't watch over her.

One thing that Troy and Gabriella weren't shy about, however, was showing affection and love to each other. That was something they had easily fallen back into.

Troy had asked Lucille to babysit Caleb the day after Gabriella's confession and coerced her into spending the entire time in bed with him. He insisted that they had to make up for all the times they missed while they weren't together. Gabriella had been painfully sore the next day, but so blissfully happy. They both knew that a single day was nowhere near enough time to make up for their lost intimate moments, but it was a start.

"You didn't screw it up, Gabriella. This is perfect. I can't even believe you did this. How did you know I was going to take you here that night?" Troy asked curiously, swirling his wine around a little bit in his glass before taking a sip.

"Your mom," Gabriella grinned, taking a bite out of her dessert. "She told me all the things you were planning to do, and I figured it would be nice to finally celebrate our anniversary. I know it's kind of crappy that I'm using this as a birthday gift for you, too. But…better late than never."

"Exactly. And this is the most amazing gift, Gabriella. Your notebook and now this dinner? I couldn't ask for anything more."

Staring at Troy in the candlelight, Gabriella felt herself swoon inside. He looked so handsome in his crisp, white dress shirt and black skinny tie. Gabriella had let him enjoy his surprise party for the rest of the afternoon before whisking him away to dinner while Lucille and Jack took Caleb home with them. Lucille was so excited about Gabriella's plan to celebrate their anniversary that she offered to watch Caleb for two entire days.

Gabriella was _really_ hoping she would need to take Lucille up on that offer.

"I'm glad you like it, Troy. I've really been looking forward to making this night up to you for a long time," Gabriella sighed, twirling one of her curls around her finger.

"I have to say, this is probably better than I could've ever planned it. It means so much more now than it would've a year ago." Troy smiled genuinely at his wife. "So…are you set to go home and end this night the right way?"

Gabriella giggled at her husband's adorable, boyish grin. "I've been waiting all day, honey."

* * *

"Happy birthday, Troy. In the ten years I've known you I've grown to love you so much…" Gabriella whispered, kissing Troy softly on the lips. "I hope twenty six years old treats you better than twenty five."

"You're so sweet, Gabriella. And the feeling is mutual, believe me," Troy smiled back at his wife, pulling up the covers and settling into the bed with her. "Ready? I've really been looking forward to this."

"I'm ready…" Gabriella shot Troy a soft smile and nestled into his side as he wrapped his free arm around her, the other holding the notebook she had given him earlier that day.

"I already know the first thing you remembered was Chad and Taylor's wedding. But I'm excited to find out about some of the stuff I didn't know you remembered. This second entry says your flashback took place on Christmas…" Troy murmured into Gabriella's ear as he began to read about their awkward situation of flying home together after they had briefly broken up junior year.

Troy's deep voice soothed Gabriella as she made comments about certain flashbacks and memories she was particularly fond of. The brunette gradually faded in and out of the conversation, her eventful day making her tired. However, when Troy got towards the end of the notebook, he suddenly grew quiet, causing Gabriella to become alert once more.

"What is it, Troy?"

Her husband let out a deep sigh and ran a hand over his face. "Nothing, really. It's just that some of these memories are painful to look back on. You remembered the night you called off the engagement…"

Gabriella nodded, remaining quiet as she tried to judge her husbands feelings.

"Those couple of moments when I thought we weren't going to get married…not my favorite," Troy smiled somberly at his wife before flipping the page of the notebook.

"I'm really sorry about what I did back then, Troy. I just didn't want to hold you back. But I know better now. I promise…" Gabriella said, shifting herself so she could run her hand through Troy's hair.

"I'm glad. And I forgive you. I always have…" Troy responded quietly, grabbing her hand and placing it over his heart.

"Holy shit, Gabi…" Troy suddenly grinned. "Our first time?"

Gabriella giggled, blushing as she nodded. "You were so nervous. Remember that? Probably even more nervous than I was and _I_ was the one losing my virginity."

Troy smiled, setting the book aside on his nightstand. "Okay, so maybe I was a little nervous. But only because I wanted it to be perfect for you. I didn't want sex to screw up our relationship. I really loved you back then."

"I know," Gabriella mumbled as Troy turned off the lamp and pressed a kiss to her lips. The room became engulfed in total darkness, leaving Gabriella's senses heightened as she felt her husband grip both sides of her waist. "I loved you, too."

"Well, Gabriella. I've got some news for you," Troy whispered, placing a kiss right behind her ear and getting an almost inaudible moan to come out of her mouth. "I'm twenty six now, and much, _much_, more confident about having sex with you. What do you think about letting me show you just how confident I am?"

Troy moved his hand down he body and his thumb brushed the inside of Gabriella's thigh, causing her to squirm slightly.

"I think you should definitely show me…repeatedly," Gabriella added in a breathless voice, feeling a smile come over her face as she realized Troy was grinning brightly at her.

"Couldn't agree more, Baby," Troy said dipping his head to press kisses anywhere and everywhere all at once.

And lying in their master bedroom, demonstrating their undying love for each other, both Gabriella and Troy recognized how significant the moment was. It went unspoken, but each understood that they were meant to be where they were at that moment. Had Gabriella's accident never happened, they may not have come to appreciate each other and their life together as much as they did now; as much as they would from that moment forward.

It may not have been typical for a partner in a marriage to lose their memory, but it was the situation Gabriella and Troy were dealt. They were forced to brave an uncharted, foreign path. They were forced to take the road less traveled.

And in the words of Robert Frost,

"That has made all the difference."


	30. Epilogue

**Story:** The Road Not Taken

**Epilogue**

**Rating:** **M **

**Su****mmary: **Troy and Gabriella have been married for three years, when one day Gabriella ends up in a car crash. What happens when she wakes up and has no idea who Troy is?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot. I thought of this story idea, and if it is like yours, that is extremely coincidental. I have not read another story like this.

* * *

"Kenzie, can you pass the soft pretzel?"

"Are you serious right now? Dad is _this _close to winning his second NBA championship and you're concerned with eating a soft pretzel? You obviously don't care about him…"

"Hey, Kenz. Stop it _now_. Hand Ethan the pretzel," Gabriella scolded her thirteen year-old daughter, watching as she huffed in frustration, flinging her chocolate brown hair over her shoulder before shoving the pretzel into the hands of her younger brother in the seat to her left.

"You don't have to be so mean about it," Ethan grumbled, and Gabriella wrapped her arm around her nine year-old son, pulling him close to her right side in a half hug. "Don't worry about Kenzie, honey. She's just having a hard time dealing with this. Don't take it personally, sweetheart."

Ethan nodded, rolling his eyes at his sister before taking a big bite out of his hot, soft pretzel.

Gabriella returned her attention to the game in front of her. The Redhawks were _so_ close to closing out this game 7 and winning their second championship in franchise history. It would come down to these final two minutes.

The brunette watched as her husband took a hard hit on a drive to the basket, but the referee didn't call a foul.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!"

"Caleb! Language!" Gabriella reprimanded her seventeen year-old as he shouted at the ref. The sandy-haired boy flashed his mother an apologetic, crooked grin – something he always did to try and get himself out of trouble. Gabriella shook her head in exasperation. He definitely picked that up from his father.

"Aw, lay off him Gabi. It wouldn't be basketball if there was no swearing involved."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow at Chad, who had turned around from the row in front of her to back up Caleb. Taylor rolled her eyes at her husband, giving Gabriella an apologetic look before returning her attention to the game.

Gabriella held in a giggle at her friends. They had become so close since high school that she considered them family.

She remembered when Troy had been traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for four seasons. Those years had been very difficult on Gabriella and Taylor, and especially on Troy and Chad. They found themselves playing against each other, which was difficult. Luckily their friendship survived the four years the Bolton family spent in L.A., and it helped immensely that Troy had insisted on living in Albuquerque during the summers when he was out of season and the kids were on break from school.

Gabriella observed Chad as he watched the basketball court like a hawk. She knew that sitting on the sidelines had to be difficult on him. Chad had decided to retire two years earlier at the age of 37. He hadn't been getting as much playing time because of the new talent the Redhawks had picked up in the drafts, so he retired to spend more time with his two boys: Michael and Kobe.

It was hard on all of them, especially Troy. He hadn't been ready to retire then, and he was still getting enough playing time to extend his contract. It was difficult to be on the Redhawks without his friend playing alongside him. Gabriella knew that it was never the same for Troy after Chad left.

And now, sitting in the stands in Albuquerque, watching game 7 of the NBA finals between the Redhawks and Orlando Magic, Gabriella couldn't believe how time flew. Just yesterday it seemed like she was sitting in this arena, watching her fiancé's first professional basketball game. And now, seventeen years later, she was watching her husband's last.

Troy had made a promise to himself when he started playing professionally that he would play as long as he possibly could. He loved basketball so much, and it was a huge part of his life. Only playing for ten years or so wasn't an option. So Troy worked hard on his physical fitness when he hit thirty, and continued to remain in great shape. But as the renowned basketball star found himself creeping up on forty, he knew it was time to throw in the towel.

It had been a good run. Seventeen years of traveling, playing a lot of basketball, doing commercials, participating in All-Star games, charity work, and practicing his heart out. At thirty-nine years old, however, Troy was ready to settle down and have a normal life.

Of course, that was much easier said than done, or so Gabriella thought.

Gabriella had predicted that Troy was going to be upset and depressed. She had seen how lost Chad felt without basketball in his life after he retired, and figured Troy would be the same.

She didn't expect her husband to be so cool about it. He seemed to be accepting his departure from professional basketball extraordinarily well. He had never once gotten upset about it. That shocked the hell out of Gabriella. He never ceased to surprise her.

Down to one minute left in the fourth quarter, the Redhawks were trailing by three points. They needed to get a shot off, fast. The coach called a timeout and Troy ran over to the huddle.

Gabriella saw her daughter wring her hands together nervously. She smiled softly at her teenager, knowing that she had to be just as nervous as Gabriella.

All three of her kids were so supportive of their father, and were his biggest fans. They had watched their dad play basketball on the television for their entire life, so his retirement was difficult on them as well.

After Troy had told Gabriella back in October that he was retiring, the second person he told was Caleb. Her first-born admired his father more than anyone, and looked up to him as a role model. Caleb had spent his entire childhood practicing with his dad, desperately trying to become good at basketball. His hard work had paid off, and he made the varsity team at his high school when he was a freshman.

Troy had been so proud of him. He didn't want to show Caleb how happy he was that he stuck with basketball for fear that it would put too much pressure on him, but he wouldn't stop talking about it to Gabriella. She was forced to show him her new lingerie in order to distract him from Caleb's tryouts.

Caleb had always been Troy's biggest fan, but when Kenzie was born, she became Troy's biggest cheerleader. The bond that Troy and Kenzie had was absolutely unbreakable. She was a complete daddy's girl, participating in all kinds of sports. She hadn't been good at basketball, but that didn't stop her from trying every other sport out there. Troy had been on the sidelines the entire time, cheering her on and supporting her.

Troy and Gabriella were astounded at how much Kenzie looked like her mother. Gabriella had been quite pleased, however, that her daughter had inherited her father's ultramarine eyes and his adorable smile. She had captured her parents' hearts from the moment she was born. Troy and Gabriella knew that Kenzie was special because of how she brought them together when they were so close to falling apart fourteen years before.

And Ethan…Ethan had been a result of Troy's incessant begging to have another child. Gabriella had argued that they already had a boy and a girl, but Troy didn't care. After Kenzie went off to all-day preschool, they both were saddened by the fact that their little kids were growing up. All Gabriella had to do was look into her husband's eyes and she was a goner. She had Ethan the following year.

Ethan was a surprise for Troy and Gabriella in the sense that he had an uncanny resemblance to Anthony Montez. Every time Gabriella looked at her son she saw her father in him, which made her feel warm inside. Ethan had gotten Troy's blue eyes and Gabriella's nose, but every other feature was nearly identical to Anthony's. Carmen was delighted.

Personality wise, Ethan, unlike Caleb and Kenzie, was much more like Gabriella than Troy. He loved science and school, and was always doing experiments with his "Little Scientist" kit in his room. Gabriella and Ethan spent a lot of time together when he was younger, reading books, learning about the solar system, and studying plants. He never got into sports, but that didn't stop him from learning everything about basketball that he could.

As the timeout ended, Gabriella stood up with the rest of the crowd and anxiously watched as Troy's teammate inbounded the ball to him. He put up a shot on the three-point line and…made it!

The crowd went absolutely nuts as Troy jogged backwards down the court. The Redhawks were tied with the Magic with only thirty seconds left on the clock. One of the magic players drove the lane and put in a two-point basket, bringing them into the lead once again.

Troy pushed the ball down the court, fast and aggressively. He tore through two Magic players and just seconds before buzzer sounded, the ball left his hands as he put up a fade away shot at the three point line. The entire crowd held their breath as the ball sailed over the rim and…through the net.

"HOLY SHIT!" Gabriella screamed in excitement, forgetting that she had just reprimanded her seventeen year-old for swearing. The entire crowd broke out into deafening cheers as their Redhawks officially won the NBA championship.

Gabriella watched as her husband hugged his teammates, fist pumping in between congratulations from the players on the bench. His smile was blinding, and Gabriella felt herself overcome with emotion as she watched Coach Cohen whisper into Troy's ear and give him a long hug.

"They won, Mom! The Redhawks won!" Ethan cheered, jumping up and down and forgetting about his soft pretzel.

Gabriella grinned brightly at her nine year-old, giving him a big celebratory hug. "Yeah they did, baby. They won!"

Chad and Taylor turned around to hug Gabriella and her three kids. Chad's face was beaming and he was just as pumped as Troy.

Gabriella felt her daughter wrap her arms around her waist, and Gabriella returned the hug, happy to see the incredible excitement on her face that watching her father always put there. She had been really upset that Troy was retiring. It was good to see her smiling tonight.

Kenzie might have been taking Troy's retirement hard, but no one was taking it harder than her first-born.

As Gabriella reached Caleb, she was surprised to see a somber expression on his face as he watched his father. She gently put a hand on her son's arm, looking up at her 6ft-4in son. He reluctantly looked down at his mom, and Gabriella saw his eyes were filled with unshed tears.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Caleb, holding him tightly. She continued to hang on to him fiercely as he returned the hug. They had both been in this since the beginning of Troy's career. Caleb had grown up watching his Dad play basketball, and now that it was over, he couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Gabriella rubbed her son's back before he pulled away, trying to blink back the unshed tears. They both looked onto the court, where the commissioner of the NBA was starting to present the trophy to the Redhawks.

"And I would like to congratulate the Albuquerque Redhawks on their second NBA championship!" he said, handing over the trophy to Coach Cohen.

Gabriella smiled, feeling tears start to pool in her own eyes as she watched Cohen take championship trophy. She remembered the first time the Redhawks had won the championship, eight years before. She had been pregnant with Ethan at the time, and ended up telling Troy about the baby that night after the championship celebration.

"Here to present the MVP award – the owner of the Redhawks, Mr. Jeff Hodges!"

Mr. Hodges, an older man in his late sixties, walked up to the podium and the crowd grew quiet.

"Well, we've had quite a season and every single one of these men has contributed greatly to this championship. But one in particular has gone above and beyond to make sure the Redhawks took home the trophy this year. So we would like to give the MVP award to Troy Bolton in recognition of his accomplishments in the finals."

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as Troy modestly walked forward to hold up the MVP trophy. Gabriella felt tears spill onto her cheeks as she watched her husband soak up the moment, looking around at the crowd in awe. He knew it was the last time he was going to have that kind of experience.

Gabriella felt a hand grab hers, and she looked over to see Caleb giving her a sad grin. Kenzie and Ethan came over to the two and they all shared in one big group hug. No words needed to be said. They all understood how special and important this moment was.

The crowd stayed around as each team member took their turns talking about the season and thanking people that helped them that year.

Troy was the last one to take the microphone, and before he even said a word the entire arena was on their feet, cheering loudly and giving him a standing ovation. Every single Redhawks fan was sad to see Troy retire. They had enjoyed watching him for the past seventeen years.

"I just want to say," Troy started as the cheering died down, "that my time with the Redhawks, and as a professional basketball player, has been sublime. We have the best fans in the world here in Albuquerque, and I am so thankful for all the support we get every single day."

The crowd erupted into cheers once more as Troy paused.

"The past seventeen years in this league are ones I will never forget. I want to thank every single person who helped me become a better player and a better person. Darren Christopher, my personal trainer, Reggie Thorne, my mentor, every single player I have ever had the honor of sharing the court with, the entire Redhawks operational staff, Mr. Hodges, Bryce Dawson – our fantastic GM. And of course, Cohen. We've had a good run, man. I've really enjoyed playing for you," Troy faced his coach and gave him another big hug.

The crowd cheered once more as streamers came out of the ceiling.

"And one more thing – several people have made major sacrifices so that I could follow my dream of playing basketball professionally. I'd like to thank my friends Taylor and Chad Danforth," the Redhawks arena burst into applause at Chad's name, "who have always been very supportive and helped out my family in times of need when I was absent. I'd like to thank my Mom for always supporting me, and my father for introducing me to basketball and encouraging me to follow my dreams."

Gabriella leaned forward to look to the other side of Caleb, where Lucille and Jack were fighting back tears as they smiled at their son. Their hands were grasped tightly together and Gabriella could tell they were so proud of troy.

"Last but not least, I want to thank my three kids – Caleb, Kenzie, and Ethan. I am so lucky to have such great children to come home to every night. They've had to sacrifice a lot of time with me because of how much I've traveled over the years, and for that I am forever thankful."

Caleb, Kenzie, and Ethan each gave their father a thumbs up as he finally spotted his family in the stands. Troy grinned brightly at his children, returning the thumbs up.

His eyes continued to roam the section where his family was sitting until they came to a halt when they reached Gabriella.

"And I'd like to thank my wife, Gabriella. She's raised our kids when I wasn't around, sacrificed having her own job so I could play basketball, and has always been there for me when I've needed her. She's my best friend and biggest supporter. I love you, Gabriella."

Gabriella felt fresh, hot tears on her cheeks as she blew Troy a kiss. He smiled back at her, and she saw a glint in his eyes, letting her know that he was holding back tears at the moment.

They had been through so much together since they met in high school. She was always there to console him after a loss and congratulate him after a win. This was like the end of an era for them, but both had to admit that they were looking forward to having more time to spend with each other.

The public festivities wrapped up and the players were escorted into the locker room to change. Gabriella and the kids, along with Chad and Taylor and their boys, started to walk over to the media room, knowing that each player was going to have to attend a post-game conference before they could spend the entire night celebrating.

Along the way, Gabriella was stopped by several of the people involved with the Redhawks, each saying how much they enjoyed working with Troy and that they would miss him deeply. Even the commissioner of the NBA expressed his sorrow in the fact that Troy was leaving. Gabriella knew that tonight not just the Redhawks were losing a hall of fame player, but the entire NBA was.

By the time the brunette made it to the press room Troy was already in the middle of answering questions. He had on his championship shirt and hat and was grinning brightly.

"Hi Troy, Mark Jacobsen from the New York Times, can you tell us a little bit about how it feels to retire after such a magnificent career?"

Troy nodded after the reporter's question, and Gabriella ushered her kids to stand next to her in the back of the room, quietly as to not disturb the conference.

"I absolutely love playing basketball. It's my passion and a big part of my life. I've enjoyed playing as long as I have in the league, and honestly I'm really going to miss it now that I'm done. It's bittersweet, retiring is. Time just seems to have gone by so fast now that I look back on my career. It feels like just yesterday my father was teaching me the proper technique to shoot a basketball. So, yeah I'm going to miss it. But at the same time I'm ready to move on with my life. I've had a great run in the NBA, but after seventeen years it gets hard to continue to put up with the traveling and practices and time that I'm required to dedicate to the sport. So I'm ready to retire."

Troy took a sip out of his water bottle and directed his attention toward the next question.

"Joe Tyke from ESPN. What are your plans now that you're done playing competitively?"

"Well, Joe, if I'm being honest I don't think I'll be able to walk away from basketball completely, so I've agreed to start announcing several games a year for TBS. I was also approached by the Redhawks with the offer of announcing all home games for the team, so I might take them up on that offer. I've got a couple other possibilities, but regardless of what I choose you'll definitely still see me around the court from time to time."

"Steve Paul from Albuquerque Journal. What are you looking forward to the most about retirement?"

Troy suddenly looked up from the microphone in front of him and searched the room with his gaze, his eyes sweeping over everyone in the crowd. As soon as he spotted Gabriella and their kids, a small smile grew on his face.

"I'm _really_ looking forward to spending more time with my wife and kids. I feel like basketball has taken me away from them for too long and caused me to miss too many important family moments. I guess you could say I'm excited to become a full-time dad. My oldest son, Caleb," Troy moved his gaze to the seventeen year-old, "is following in my footsteps and has already verbally committed to play basketball at UC Berkeley. I couldn't be more proud of him, and you can bet I'm going to be in the front row at every single home game, cheering him on."

Caleb grinned, nodding his head in appreciation at his father's words. Troy's gaze suddenly moved to Kenzie.

"And I finally have time to practice softball with my daughter. She's got a lot of talent and hopes to make the varsity team when she goes to high school. Baseball isn't something I ever played competitively so the sport of softball is a new experience. I've really enjoyed learning the game, though, and can't wait to play with my little girl."

Troy grinned brightly at Kenzie as she gave him a big smile before Troy looked at Ethan. His face visibly softened even more than it already was as he stared at his youngest son.

"And I am _so_ excited to help my son Ethan with his science fair project this summer. He's been looking forward to elementary school's fair for months, so we're going to make something really cool. Oh wait, just kidding. I never said that. I don't think parents are supposed to help with those things…"

Everyone in the press room laughed as Troy smiled. Ethan grabbed Gabriella's hand as many reporters turned around to look at him. He was shy, just like she had been when she was younger.

"And something that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since I decided to retire – a big positive – is that I never have to go another morning without waking up next to my beautiful wife. That's something I really miss when I'm on the road,"

Gabriella blushed as all three of her children smiled at her. She and Troy hadn't been shy about showing affection in front of them. Most of all they wanted their kids to know that their parents loved each other so much, and that they were growing up in a house filled with love instead of fighting.

When the children were young they would frequently have date nights during the summer, leaving them with Lucille and Jack, or Carmen if she was in town. They would go for walks in the park or catch a late movie. It was a rule that every summer the two of them went on vacation for a week by themselves somewhere they could relax and enjoy each other without kids to worry about. With their busy schedules and three children to take care of, privacy was rare for Troy and Gabriella. But they made it work.

Troy looked at Gabriella, and she stared right back into his deep blue eyes. She felt so much love from her husband when he stared at her like that. Like he was the luckiest man on earth to have won her heart.

"I'm really looking forward to growing old with her and raising our children together," Troy added before standing up and leaving the stage he was sitting on.

All the reporters began murmuring about what Troy was doing as the basketball star walked through the room towards his family. Unable to wait for him to get to her, Kenzie ran forward to hug him tightly, and Troy chuckled as he held her. Ethan was next to run up to Troy, looking up at his tall father and giving him a toothy grin. Troy kneeled down and hugged his youngest son fiercely.

When Troy stood up and saw Caleb standing in front of him with watery eyes, he gave his first-born a small nod, which the boy returned before clutching onto his father tightly. Gabriella held back tears as she watched Caleb whisper into his father's ear. Troy nodded at whatever the boy was saying and patted him on the back. She remembered when he was just a toddler, always excited to see his daddy. It seemed like just yesterday.

Gabriella stood back while Troy hugged their children, and felt the butterflies in her stomach as soon as he locked eyes with her and began moving her way. After all this time, he still made her stomach flip.

"Mrs. Bolton," Troy murmured, putting his two hands on her waist and pulling her close to him. "I love you so much. Thank you for being a part of this crazy life we've made together. I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Gabriella smiled. "Neither would I."

Troy dipped his head to give Gabriella a kiss, causing clapping to erupt from the press.

As Gabriella pulled back, looking into the eyes of her husband, she knew that although this was the end of Troy's basketball career, they both had so much more to look forward to, so much more life to live, so many more memories to make.

And they couldn't wait to get started…

* * *

**Started in November of 2007 (holy shit that was a long time ago!) and finished in July of 2011, thanks for sticking with me all of those years and reading this story! It took **_**way**_** too long for me to finish it, but at least I finally did. Haha. **

You guys are so sweet with your reviews and I have enjoyed reading every single one of them! I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

As for now, I will be taking a hiatus from fanfiction. I'll still be reading, of course, but I may not write something for a while. I think if I were to write anything in the near future it would be a one-shot, at best. Then I don't have to worry about finding time to update, which seems to be my weak point. :)

And a real quick shout out to **lillypadlover1234** – thanks for encouraging me to update throughout the story! You've always been so sweet!

Because I'm an avid reader of FanFiction, I wanted to give you guys some suggestions of stories I found particularly good (Some of them were posted a while ago but still remain my favs. I'm also a fan of Twilight, so I did put some of those on here…)

High School Musical

**_Anything_** by runninequalslife or SouthernStars (everything these authors put out is amazing)

_Out of Our Control_ by kg1507

_He Shoots, She Dances_ by sayheyadancer

Twilight

_Sacrifices_ by Enthralled

_Take the Ice_ by bellamarie117** (probably my favorite fanfiction story of all time)**

Thanks so much for all the support with The Road Not Taken!

**- WoundedSparrow**


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